The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) organised a CPG roundtable on 12 June 2026. Senior leaders from major consumer‑goods firms, distributors, technology and logistics partners discussed how to digitise India’s vast General Trade ecosystem.
Key Developments
- Launch of DigiDukaan to enable B2B procurement for over 1.4 crore kirana stores.
- Early traction in Hyderabad: >10,000 retailers and 35+ brands onboarded via Qwipo.
- Planned rollout in Jaipur on 19 June 2026 through Salescode, followed by Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi‑NCR.
- Stakeholders shared recommendations on distributor digitisation, catalogue standardisation, retailer onboarding and technology integration.
Important Facts
The FMCG sector derives 75‑80 % of its sales from the kirana stores. The existing channel suffers from fragmented ordering, limited inventory visibility and manual sales processes, leading to higher costs for retailers, distributors and brands.
DigiDukaan promises:
- Better margin for retailers via direct procurement and visibility of schemes.
- Improved fill‑rates and working‑capital management for stores.
- Wider market reach for distributors without extra field costs.
- Direct demand signals for brands, enabling efficient scheme deployment and tracking.
UPSC Relevance
Understanding the digital transformation of the General Trade ecosystem is vital for GS III (Economy) and GS II (Polity) papers. The initiative illustrates how government‑backed digital infrastructure (ONDC) can address market inefficiencies, promote inclusive growth and support MSME development. It also reflects policy coordination between the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and industry bodies, relevant for GS II.
Way Forward
Stakeholders are urged to:
- Adopt standardised digital catalogues to ensure uniform product information.
- Accelerate retailer onboarding by providing training and easy‑to‑use interfaces.
- Leverage data analytics from DigiDukaan for demand forecasting and scheme effectiveness.
- Collaborate as founding partners to scale the platform across major metros and tier‑2 cities.
Successful implementation could enhance supply‑chain efficiency, reduce costs for FMCG brands, and empower millions of kirana retailers, aligning with India’s broader digital‑economy agenda.