Grameen Foundation Becomes first NGO to Bring MSME Artisans & Craftsman on ONDC

Enters into agreement with Easy Pay that is currently only Fintech which has built integrations of Retail and Financial Service products of ONDC

The primary objective of this partnership is to create employment opportunities and train sellers in catalogue and logistics setup for handling inventory and order management.

NEW DELHI (India CSR): In a first-of-its-kind, Grameen Foundation for Social Impact, a not-for-profit organization has entered into an agreement with Easy Pay, to induct MSME sellers such as artisans, weavers, and others onto the ONDC network. In the initial phase it aims to onboard 5000 sellers on to the ONDC network. This will help to digitise Special Skilled sellers and induct them on the e-commerce community.  Easy Pay is a leading payment solution company and one of the first fintech company to go onboard on ONDC for offering both Retail and Financial Services integration solutions company.

Easy Pay, a leading payment solution company and one of the first fintech company to go onboard on ONDC for offering both Retail and Financial Services integration solutions, today announced a partnership with the Grameen Foundation for Social Impact (GFSI), a not-for-profit organization, to onboard MSME sellers to the network with a focus on onboarding Special Skilled sellers covering artisians , weavers and others onto the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform, empowering them to become online sellers. 

This collaboration aims to provide these entrepreneurs, both women and men, with access to a wider market through e-commerce, thereby generating employment opportunities and opening new avenues for growth and supporting the livelihoods of millions of skilled group specialists such as weavers and sculptors.

Through this partnership the company will address the challenge faced by sellers who are doing business in small geographies and skilled professionals who currently sell goods at lower margins through distributors, by enabling them to access online markets with higher revenue potential.

Nilay Patel, Founder & Managing Director of Easy Pay, said, “At Easy Pay, we are dedicated to fostering inclusive growth and empowerment within the MSME community. Our collaboration with the Grameen Foundation marks a pivotal step in democratizing e-commerce access for skilled groups and small businesses across India. The absence of a robust ecommerce ecosystem has long hindered small merchants , artisans and craftsmen from venturing online. Integration with ONDC eliminates these barriers, offering unrestricted access to the e-commerce world along with numerous benefits.”

By leveraging the ONDC network, these individuals will not only be able to showcase their products and services to a larger audience but also benefit from access to a range of other services on the ONDC network such as credit facilities, digital payments, delivery solutions, and more. EasyPay will also train sellers to act as agents for onboarding other sellers onto the ONDC network.

Rahul Dube Project Director from the Grameen Foundation for Social Impact (GFSI) said, Grameen Foundation for Social Impact’s partnership with Easy Pay will endeavour to empower grassroots entrepreneurs who have been never accessed the benefits of selling online. By leveraging technology and innovation, we aim to bridge the gap between skilled professionals and online marketplaces, thereby urging economic inclusivity and sustainable growth.”

The onboarding process will include seller registration, catalogue setup, logistics settings, and training for handling inventory updates, order confirmation, and ticket management. Sellers onboarded through EasyPay are available to take orders from all buyer apps on ONDC, Easy Pay’s initiative will target sellers who have not yet been onboarded, most of whom will be joining an online marketplace for the first time.

Through a comprehensive pan-India campaign, the partnership endeavours to reach skilled professionals and small businesses across India. Onboarding activities will commence in the third week of May, marking the start of an exhilarating journey towards enhancing economic opportunities and digital accessibility for all.

Easy Pay is an officially registered Marketplace Buyer &Seller Network Participant on Retail and first Buyer app participant to go live for Financial Services (FIS) on ONDC.

(India CSR)