Open Network For Digital Commerce (ONDC)

About ONDC The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is an ambitious initiative by the Government of India under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Our mission is to revolutionise digital commerce by building an open, inclusive, and interoperable digital ecosystem that empowers millions of sellers and buyers across India. We are shaping the future of digital commerce — one where technology bridges divides, drives innovation, and creates opportunities for every participant in the value chain. Role Overview The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will be the architect and strategic force behind ONDC’s technology vision, leading the next phase of India’s digital commerce transformation. We are looking for a visionary technology leader who combines large-scale tech expertise with a deep understanding of eCommerce and ecosystem thinking. The CTO will drive ONDC’s technology strategy, architecture, and innovation roadmap while fostering adoption across the digital ecosystem. This is a mission-driven leadership role that demands not just technical depth but also strategic foresight, ecosystem collaboration, and inspirational people leadership. Please mail your CV to careers@ondc.org Key Responsibilities 1.⁠ ⁠Vision & Technology Strategy Shape and execute ONDC’s long-term technology vision and digital roadmap aligned with national priorities. Evaluate and deploy emerging technologies to power an open, scalable, and secure commerce ecosystem. Translate the ONDC vision into actionable digital transformation strategies across sectors and participants. 2.⁠ ⁠Network Architecture & Innovation Lead the design and evolution of ONDC’s core protocol and supporting infrastructure, ensuring scalability, resilience, and interoperability. Champion open standards and open-source technologies that foster transparency and trust. Oversee the creation of developer tools, APIs, SDKs, and sandbox environments to accelerate innovation and network participation. 3.⁠ ⁠Product & Ecosystem Leadership Drive ONDC’s product strategy to ensure simplicity, usability, and adoption across diverse user groups from large enterprises to small kiranas. Build frameworks and tools that enable businesses, developers, and partners to integrate seamlessly. Foster innovation partnerships with startups, academia, and large tech players to continually evolve the ONDC stack. 4.⁠ ⁠Data, Security & Governance Establish a data-driven culture with clear KPIs and analytics-driven decision-making. Build world-class frameworks for data governance, privacy, and cybersecurity to ensure the integrity of the ONDC network. Champion ethical and responsible technology practices across all initiatives. 5.⁠ ⁠Stakeholder & Ecosystem Management Collaborate closely with DPIIT, partner ministries, industry leaders, and technology partners to drive ONDC’s technology and ecosystem goals. Represent ONDC in national and global technology forums, positioning it as a model for open digital infrastructure. Work with ecosystem participants to remove technical barriers and accelerate network adoption. 6.⁠ ⁠Leadership & Talent Development Build, mentor, and inspire a high-calibre, mission-driven technology team spanning engineering, product, data, and design. Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability. Identify and nurture the next generation of technology leaders within ONDC. Qualifications & Experience 18+ years of progressive technology leadership experience, including in large-scale technology organisations and eCommerce or platform-led businesses. Proven experience in building, scaling, and operating complex digital platforms at scale, preferably in the eCommerce/payments ecosystem. Deep expertise in distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, open-source technologies, and API-led architectures. Strong understanding of digital marketplaces, payments, logistics, and data platforms. Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and ecosystem engagement skills