And for a Friday returning to Hi-tech city Bengaluru, some thoughts….. some musings…..
India has changed. It has an unique combination of 60+ senior citizens eager and willing to adopt to change and ofcourse the digital savvy young, making this country one of the largest digitilised markets in the free world. Strengthening the momentum is the setting up of ONDC – Open Network for Digital Commerce, a private non-profit company set up by Dept of Industry GOI, in active collaboration with a 7.8% stake holding each of SBI, HDFC, Kotak and Axis Banks along with PNB and BSE and others. Once fully functional, ONDC will influence E-Commerce the way UPI has revolutionalised digital banking in India. ONDC will have million plus sellers joining in thru multiple platforms and applications, who will cater to the needs of more than 600 million buyers who will have wide choices to buy from. This will have great impact not only in our metros but more so in our tier 2 and 3 cities and small towns. The MSME and small entrepreneurs will greatly benefit as it will also be in local languages and also meeting local needs. Indian middle class buyers are greatly influenced by affordability and Value -for-Money. The pilot is already being test launched in Bengaluru, Delhi, Coimbatore, Bhopal and Shillong.
We need to ensure that during the evolutionary changes across India, we do not lose out on the so called “Indian Value System” of respect for elders, truthfulness, honesty, hard work, willingness to sacrifice individual luxuries for the sake of family and society, offering food and hospitality to even strangers and anyone in need. Even today many villages and towns have the concept of “No Locking’. It’s also a common sight to see, very early mornings, open cartons of milk, breads, biscuits, etc. etc. kept outside roadside grocery shops by delivery companies. Owners of shops take them in only much later when shops open. There is a fundamental “trust” at street level in most places. This must be preserved. It’s not compliance of law. It’s the individual’s Values and Principles that every household must ensure. Every IT professional involved in Digital India must carry this torch forward for ONDC to succeed.
The world is changing; geopolitics is volatile and new economic realities are unfolding. Let each one of us commit to making India a better place, the tech-savvy way, the inclusive way, the SEEGOS way.