Generative AI is set to guide a new era of interactive, multidimensional experiences that will fundamentally alter how people interact with information, brands, and one another. Businesses and governments want to use this new AI technology to make customer, partner, and employee interactions more productive and beneficial. To that end, Google has introduced the Generative AI App Builder, the quickest way for developers to get started creating gen applications like bots, chat apps, digital assistants, custom search engines, and more, with minimal technical skills. Recently, ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) and Google Cloud launched a new India-wide hackathon and an extension of their existing ONDC program to foster scaled innovation across the e-commerce industry in India. The Open Network for Digital Commerce, or ONDC, is about to gain generative AI capabilities. Google Cloud showcased how this new feature will assist both buyers and sellers in India at its Born Digital Summit in Bengaluru. 

Bikram Singh Bedi, Managing Director of Google Cloud India, says, “Our mission is to accelerate every organization’s ability to digitally transform themselves and help them solve complex business problems. Google Cloud has currently partnered with companies like Flipkart, Reliance, Tata, Adani, Apollo, and ONDC in India”.

What is ONDC? Why is Everyone Talking about it?

Following the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) revolution in the area of digital payments, the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is set to break new ground in the country's digital commerce ecosystem. ONDC uses cutting-edge digital infrastructure to democratize and make digital commerce more accessible and inclusive in India. More than 29,000 sellers are presently active on the network, and alpha tests are taking place in 236 cities.

The Open Network for Digital Commerce, or ONDC, is about to gain generative AI capabilities. Google Cloud showcased how this new feature will assist both buyers and sellers in India at its Born Digital Summit in Bengaluru. Our mission is to accelerate every organization's ability to digitally transform themselves and help them solve complex business problems. ONDC and Google Cloud will host an India-wide hackathon to catalyze creativity and address major obstacles for the country's next billion digital users. The hackathon aims to create solutions that democratize access to digital commerce for all people, regardless of digital literacy, geography, or economic background. The event also intends to build an open ecosystem of developers, students, and companies working inside the ONDC framework to innovate.

Google Cloud's generative AI Tools

Earlier this month, Google Cloud and ONDC introduced the open-source ONDC Open Commerce solution, which allows buyers and sellers to effortlessly integrate into the ONDC network. Since then, more than 20 e-commerce enterprises have used the Open Commerce solution. The next step in this strategic collaboration involves ONDC and Google Cloud collaborating to significantly expand the ability of buyers and sellers of all sizes across the country - particularly those in smaller cities - to transact on the network through the use of Google Cloud's generative AI tools.

The 'Build for Bharat' hackathon, which will last three months and attract 100,000 participants, will provide mentoring, assistance, and other resources to help participants tackle common e-commerce challenges such as improving supply chain visibility, creating more targeted consumer personalization, and improving inventory management, according to a company statement. The hackathon's interactive activities include webinars, problem-solving sessions, expert-led workshops, and virtual community channels like Discord.

Google Cloud and ONDC are assisting in the creation of a fairer playing field for all digital commerce organizations, whether they are the world's largest or the tiniest sellers in local marketplaces. Our relationship allows organizations across India to reach a broader audience and build their companies, ultimately influencing digital commerce adoption in the country.

T Koshy, MD and CEO of ONDC, says, “We are on the verge of revolutionizing e-commerce. This hackathon will act as an excellent launchpad, allowing us to uncover countless talented individuals and organizations with innovative ideas. This, in turn, fuels Bharat's desire for innovation by addressing a plethora of important difficulties encountered by merchants and consumers in both large cities and small communities. This hackathon brings us one step closer to realizing our objective of creating an inclusive and accessible digital commerce arena for all Indians, regardless of background.”

 

Google Cloud's Duet AI-powered ONDC Seller App

Google Cloud's Duet AI-powered ONDC seller app will enable businesses to generate photos, descriptions, and more with only a few clicks to boost product visibility. What makes this unique is that a vendor can enter context in one language, which will then be automatically translated to English using Google's AI, and the same information will be translated into another language depending on the buyer's requirements.

Google demonstrated a situation in which the seller enters information in Tamil, and the system provides a description in English along with relevant photographs. The same material is automatically translated into Hindi or any other language of the buyer's choice to overcome the linguistic barrier between the two. 

This solution will assist non-technical sellers in creating attractive product catalogs with simple steps to improve product discoverability. Google also stated that all photographs generated by their AI will be watermarked and will not be copyrighted. This feature is planned to become available in the next few days. Similarly, Apollo Hospitals is already using Google Cloud AI to improve healthcare access in India. 

Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud, says, “Google Cloud and ONDC are assisting in creating a fairer playing field for all digital commerce organizations, whether they are the world's largest or the tiniest sellers in local marketplaces. Our relationship allows organizations across India to reach a broader audience and build their companies, ultimately influencing digital commerce adoption in the country.”

ONDC and Google Cloud launched the ONDC Open Commerce solution, which streamlines buyer and seller onboarding to the ONDC network. More than 20 e-commerce companies have already embraced the Open Commerce solution, indicating that this movement is gaining traction.

Major Benefits from the Collaboration:

Sellers will benefit from the opportunity to effortlessly increase the quality and descriptions of their product catalogs. Furthermore, owing to Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform, buyers and sellers will be able to conduct transactions using voice commands in regional languages, automatically translate catalogs, and complete the entire buying process without typing.