India’s DPI holds incredible promise, says Uber CEO as company partners ONDC

Bengaluru: Ride-hailing major Uber on Thursday signed an agreement with the government’s e-commerce platform Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to explore an integration with the network to expand the range of mobility offerings on the Uber app.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s global CEO, spoke with Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani here during an event, saying that companies and governments around the world can learn from the scale and ambition of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

The agreement with ONDC would “strengthen Uber’s mission of bringing safe, affordable and reliable rides to all Indians”.

“We are excited to take our first step through this MoU with ONDC to explore how we can accelerate our ambition to make Uber a platform for every Indian’s daily mobility needs,” Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India and South Asia, said in a statement.

The company helps 900,000 Indians earn a living each month by driving with Uber which is available across 125 cities.

“As the Open Network is continuously evolving, MTT (mobility, transport and travel) is certainly a critical sector for us. Today’s MoU is a major step forward, and one we hope will enable a diverse range of mobility solutions to benefit every Indian,” said T Koshy, MD and CEO, ONDC.

Incorporated on December 21, 2021, ONDC is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry to create a facilitative model that revolutionises digital commerce.