India’s food delivery service is widely considered to be one of the best, offering users the convenience of enjoying their favorite restaurant dishes from the comfort of their homes within a few minutes. While Zomato and Swiggy have long dominated the food delivery tech space, vying for market dominance with their competitive offers, a new player is emerging.
ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce), supported by the Indian government, allows restaurants to sell their food directly to customers, bypassing third-party apps like Zomato and Swiggy. As a result, customers can take advantage of cheaper food options available through this innovative network.
Although ONDC was launched in September 2022, it has recently gained significant traction and popularity among users. According to reports, it has now exceeded 10,000 daily orders and is becoming more widely utilized. In the past few days, many people have shared screenshots comparing food delivery prices from ONDC, Swiggy, and Zomato. Remarkably, ONDC’s prices are relatively lower than those of its competitors.
Read More: ONDC sparks price war, threatens Zomato and Swiggy dominance in food delivery space
If you are not yet familiar with the network backed by the Indian government and would like to try it out, keep reading. We will provide you with all the details on how to access this innovative platform.
What is ONDC?
As stated earlier, the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a platform supported by the Government of India that enables restaurants to sell their food directly to customers. In addition, ONDC provides delivery services for groceries, home decor, cleaning essentials, and other items similar to Swiggy’s Instamart, Zepto, and Blinkit. The network is open to all types of businesses, including those in electronics, fashion, beauty, and other industries. These businesses can join the network and offer their services directly to consumers.
With multiple private players entering the e-Commerce arena, ONDC has emerged as a government-backed initiative focused on making e-Commerce more user-friendly and cost-effective. The platform’s open specifications and network protocols are designed to be platform-agnostic, ensuring its independence from any specific platform(s).
Bengaluru was the pioneer city to adopt ONDC in September 2022. Today, the network is active in several cities, and users are taking advantage of its attractive deals.
Is ONDC better than Swiggy, Zomato?
ONDC is reportedly giving tough competition to Swiggy and Zomato in the online food delivery market from both the business and customer perspectives. According to users, ONDC provides cheaper food delivery options compared to Swiggy and Zomato. For example, while an order on ONDC may cost around INR 150, the same order may range from INR 200-215 on the other two platforms.
(Note that these prices are for demonstration purposes only, and actual costs may vary based on various factors.)
Although it’s uncertain whether ONDC can outcompete Swiggy and Zomato, it’s certainly gaining traction in India’s price-sensitive market.
Pros and Cons of ONDC:
Pro’s:
- No surge fee for users during high demand or rains
- Low commissions for restaurants (2-4% on ONDC), compared to Swiggy/Zomato (15-25%)
- Due to the low commission rates, restaurants are able to offer their products at lower prices to end-consumers.
- Healthy competition within the ecosystem benefits users by providing them with more options to choose from and also drives players to innovate.
Con’s:
- Bad user experience & interface, as there is no standalone app
- Unlike Swiggy and Zomato, ONDC does not offer a rider tracking option.
- No after-sales support & quality assurance
- Limited number of listed restaurants and lack of order history feature
- Fewer SKUs compared to Zomato/Swiggy
It’s probable that most initial problems will be resolved with the evolution of the ONDC system and the increase in customer adoption.
How and where to use ONDC?
As ONDC is a relatively new platform, many users may still be unsure about how to use it. To help them take advantage of its benefits, we’ve outlined a step-by-step guide on how to use ONDC.
ONDC currently does not have its own standalone app for ordering food. Instead, users are required to use one of its partner apps such as Paytm or Magicpin to access ONDC’s services.
Other ONDC apps for food ordering include Mystore, Pincode, and Spice Money and more.
How to order food on ONDC via Paytm?
- To start ordering food on ONDC through Paytm, open the Paytm app and tap on the “search” icon.
- Look for the search bar on Paytm’s home screen and type “ONDC”. Once you hit enter, you should see an ONDC Store option.
- Once you have opened the ONDC Store, you can browse through the list of restaurants and dishes that are available for ordering.
- Select the dish you wish to order by clicking on it.
- Enter the delivery address where you want your food to be delivered.
- Place your order and pay
- You can also track your order to see the status.
How to order food on ONDC via Magicpin?
- Open the Magicpin app and click on the “Food” option.
- Select the food that you want to order.
- Add the address where you want your food to be ordered.
- Place your order and pay.
- Tracking option is available to see the status.
Please note that the selection of restaurants available on ONDC may be limited, as it is a new platform and not all restaurants have partnered with it yet.