New Delhi: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) discussed the DigiDukaan expansion initiative to digitise procurement for India’s 1.4 crore kirana stores.
During the CPG Roundtable – Bharat Commerce Chintan Shivir held on June 12, industry leaders, distributors, technology providers and logistics partners reviewed measures to transform the country’s general trade ecosystem.
India’s general trade network contributes nearly 75–80 per cent of FMCG sales. However, fragmented ordering systems, limited inventory visibility and manual processes continue to create operational challenges.
DigiDukaan expansion strengthens general trade ecosystem
The initiative enables kirana retailers to access better procurement options, improve visibility of schemes and manage working capital more effectively. Similarly, distributors can increase their reach through digital ordering and collection systems.
For brands, DigiDukaan provides better access to retailer demand patterns and improves monitoring of promotional schemes.
The programme has already gained momentum in Hyderabad, where more than 10,000 retailers and over 35 brands joined through Qwipo. Additionally, ONDC will launch the initiative in Jaipur on June 19 through Salescode. Further expansion is planned in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR.
The discussions also focused on challenges such as increasing sales costs, inventory gaps, secondary sales visibility and competition from digital-first retail models.
Therefore, participants recommended stronger distributor digitisation, standardised catalogues, faster retailer onboarding and improved technology integration.
The roundtable, chaired by DPIIT Additional Secretary Ateesh Kumar Singh, witnessed participation from leading companies including HUL, ITC, Coca-Cola, TCPL, Marico, Nestlé and other FMCG organisations.
Industry stakeholders also expressed interest in becoming founding partners for the next phase of DigiDukaan expansion.
