The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), in partnership with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), has launched DigiDukaan to digitise B2B procurement for India’s kirana stores. The initiative aims to connect retailers, distributors, and brands through a digital network, improving order placement, access to promotional schemes, and procurement management. DigiDukaan was launched in Hyderabad, targeting the country’s 1.4 crore kirana stores that dominate FMCG sales, according to inc42.com.
Kirana stores currently rely on fragmented ordering systems, manual sales processes, and limited inventory visibility, often placing orders via phone calls or informal channels. DigiDukaan addresses these challenges by providing retailers with better visibility into products, pricing, and promotional schemes. Distributors benefit by digitising order collection and expanding retailer coverage without increasing manpower costs, while brands gain insights into retailer demand and secondary sales data, inc42.com reported.
The kirana ecosystem accounts for nearly 75-80% of FMCG sales in India, making it a critical channel for consumer goods distribution. Despite this scale, the lack of digitisation has limited efficiency and transparency in procurement. DigiDukaan’s introduction aligns with broader efforts to modernise general trade and improve supply chain visibility. This initiative follows similar government-backed digital commerce efforts aimed at integrating small retailers into formal digital networks, inc42.com noted.
DigiDukaan’s launch in Hyderabad marks the beginning of a phased rollout across India’s kirana stores. The platform’s success will be measured by its adoption rate among retailers and distributors and its impact on procurement efficiency. The initiative is part of ONDC’s wider mandate to create a unified digital commerce network, with further updates expected as the rollout progresses, according to inc42.com.