The growth of digital commerce has expanded market access and entrepreneurial opportunities, while also raising concerns about market concentration and businesses’ dependence on large, vertically integrated platforms. Open Transaction Networks (OTNs) offer an alternative architecture in which buyers, sellers and service providers can transact across independent applications through open, interoperable protocols. India’s Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) provides an important setting to examine whether this architecture translates into broader participation, greater competition and innovation.
The study will examine how ONDC’s architectural design shapes participation, market structure, competition and business model innovation. Through quantitative analysis of network data complemented with case studies, it will assess opportunities for startups and MSMEs, the distribution of economic activity across network participants, and the role of public support in enabling inclusion and sustaining participation. The findings will inform the design and governance of competitive, inclusive and economically sustainable OTNs, with lessons for India and other economies.
The project is structured as a collaborative research initiative, with continuous guidance and technical support from GDN. The GDN project framework includes regular engagement with programme advisors and global experts, complemented with two workshops and a conference. This process will begin with the team’s participation in the methodology workshop in Clermont-Ferrand, France, from 19–20 November 2026, sponsored by GDN.
