Ola Mobility, helmed by Bhavish Aggarwal, is venturing into new territory by diversifying its ecommerce offerings, leveraging the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) collaboration.
According to a report by ET, Ola is gearing up to introduce options for purchasing groceries, fashion, and apparel within its app. By integrating with ONDC, Ola aims to tap into a vast network of grocers and fashion brands already present across various cities.
The company has enlisted Magicpin as its technology service provider for this endeavor. Inc42 has reached out to ONDC for confirmation and will update the story accordingly upon receiving a response.
Ola initially joined hands with ONDC when it piloted a food delivery platform in September 2023, initially limited to its employees but now available to the public. Subsequently, the company expanded its collaboration with ONDC to offer last-mile logistics services for various categories, including food delivery, grocery shopping, and pharmaceuticals.
This move into groceries and fashion is expected to bolster Ola’s logistics operations within ONDC. With this expansion, Ola will be competing with established players like Pai Platforms (Paytm Ecommerce), Swiggy’s Instamart, and Blinkit in the grocery sector, and with startups such as 82°E, Beyoung, and Snitch in the fashion ecommerce segment.
Ola’s rival in the ride-hailing business, Uber, also recently ventured into the ONDC arena. In February, Uber entered into an agreement with ONDC to explore integration possibilities aimed at expanding its range of mobility offerings.
These expansion plans come at a time when Ola is streamlining parts of its ride-hailing business. Earlier this month, the company announced the closure of its overseas operations in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia, signaling a renewed focus on the Indian market, where significant expansion opportunities await.
The Entrepreneur Today Desk