EXCLUSIVE: Now ONDC to boost Real Money Gaming industry

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is onboarding Real Money Gaming (RMG) platforms to its network, creating a mutually beneficial situation. ONDC aims to boost the RMG industry by offering a wide range of products and services listed on its network. This initiative is expected to enhance user confidence and trust in these pay-to-play platforms, as they are affiliated with ONDC, a government-backed entity.

ONDC, which was launched in 2021, has gained a lot of traction in the last two years. More than 500,000 sellers have been onboarded on the platform, of which more than 70 percent are small or medium sized sellers. In April 2024, ONDC facilitated around 7.22 million transactions.

Recently, Zupee, backed by investors such as WestCap Group, Tomales Bay Capital, Nepean Capital, AJ Capital, Matrix Partners India (now Z47), and Orios Venture Partners, joined the ONDC network.

Dilsher Singh Malhi, founder and CEO of Zupee, commented, "We are delighted to partner with ONDC and be listed on the platform. This collaboration strengthens our efforts to responsibly bring the joy of playing culturally relevant Indian games to a larger audience."

Similarly, in May 2024, WinZO partnered with ONDC, enabling ONDC to list its services on the WinZO Store, making them accessible to WinZO's 175 million users.

Paavan Nanda, Co-Founder of WinZO, said, "Just as UPI revolutionized payments in 2018 and paved the way for companies like ours to scale across 175 million gamers, we envision that the integration of WinZO and ONDC will allow many more companies to innovate on this growing digital commerce platform."

An ONDC spokesperson told Storyboard18, "We are creating a democratized digital commerce ecosystem that will benefit the industry. This will make entertainment available to a larger user base in India and allow them to access a wide range of products and services at competitive prices, all on a single platform."

The spokesperson also added, "We are in talks with several other gaming platforms across the country. These RMG players will soon go live on the network once they are ready with the necessary infrastructure."

Roland Landers, CEO of the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), commented, "The onboarding of Real Money Gaming companies on the ONDC marks a significant step towards democratizing digital access and fostering innovation in the gaming sector."

Landers added, "By leveraging ONDC’s open network, RMG platforms can expand their reach, enhance transparency, and provide players with a more secure and seamless experience. As a rapidly growing industry, we at the AIGF believe this move will not only benefit gaming companies but also contribute to the broader goal of promoting a digital-first economy in India. We are excited to see how this development will support the responsible and sustainable growth of the sector."

ONDC has onboarded multiple companies offering services including grocery, beauty and personal care, electronics and appliances, home and kitchen, health and wellness, beauty, electronics, home and kitchen, fashion. Recently, ONDC onboarded 125 ecosystem stakeholders, including startups and some of the best known unicorns, on its network.

The unicorns that have signed Letter of Intent (LoI) to partner with ONDC include likes of Zerodha, EaseMyTrip, Pristyn Care, Cars24, Physics Wallah, PolicyBazaar, OfBusiness, Livspace and GlobalBees.