NEW DELHI — Zoho Corporation said Wednesday it will invest Rs 70 crore in the Open Network for Digital Commerce to support sovereign technology development and strengthen India’s digital public infrastructure.
The Chennai-based global technology company said the investment is intended to make technology more accessible and inclusive for businesses of all sizes, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises.
“India’s economy depends heavily on MSMEs, yet they face challenges on all fronts, from limited market access to structural constraints imposed by conventional digital platforms that rarely align with their unique needs,” said Sivaramakrishnan Iswaran, CEO of Zoho Payment Technologies and global head of finance and operations BU at Zoho.
He said ONDC gives MSMEs more control by helping them expand customer reach and pursue sustainable growth.
“Zoho shares with ONDC its philosophy of building sovereign technology to champion accessibility, flexibility and inclusion of businesses of every size,” Iswaran said.
Zoho said ONDC enabled 218 million transactions during fiscal 2026 as its network expanded across retail, logistics, mobility and financial services.
The company said its finance and commerce applications, including Vikra, Zoho ERP, Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory and Zoho Commerce, have helped MSMEs digitize operations and reach wider markets through the ONDC network.
Zoho said the investment will help expand ONDC’s ecosystem and accelerate adoption of digital commerce among businesses across India.
ONDC is building open digital commerce infrastructure designed to improve interoperability, inclusivity and efficiency across sectors. The network is also aimed at addressing challenges such as fragmented systems, high entry barriers and trust deficits in digital commerce.
Zoho said ONDC DigiDukaan onboarded more than 10,000 kirana stores within months of launch. Order volumes for farmers, artisans and rural sellers grew 11-fold during fiscal 2026 through ONDC-enabled commerce models.
In logistics, ONDC’s first-in, first-out fleet allocation model scaled 50 times within six months, improving utilization and earnings opportunities for gig workers. (Source: IANS)
