Uber India Integrates with the Open Network for Digital Commerce
Ride-hailing platform Uber India announces its integration with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) by rolling out metro ticketing on the Uber app, starting with the Delhi Metro. The service will go live in three more cities this year.
Notably, Uber will not be offering ride-hailing services through ONDC at this stage—much like its primary competitor in India, Ola, which integrated with ONDC in August 2023. Ola currently focuses on logistics and retail services through the network, without including ride-hailing.
Uber also plans to launch business-to-business (B2B) logistics through ONDC in the near future, starting with facilitating food deliveries. The service will allow businesses to tap into Uber’s delivery network on demand, without needing their own fleets. It is designed to eventually scale to e-commerce, grocery, pharmacy, and healthcare logistics.
For metro rides, Uber has partnered with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) using ONDC’s interoperable backend infrastructure, which has enabled the company to launch this service significantly faster than it would have through a direct integration. Starting May 19, Uber users in Delhi can plan metro journeys, purchase QR-based tickets, and access real-time transit information—all within the Uber app. Payments are supported exclusively via UPI.
"India has taken an impressive leap in building population-scale technology through its Digital Public Infrastructure like ONDC and we are thrilled to integrate with them to bring metro ticketing to the Uber app, bringing us one step closer to our vision of being a one-stop shop for mobility needs," says Praveen Neppalli Naga, Chief Technology Officer, Uber.
Prabhjeet Singh, President, India and South Asia, Uber says, ONDC is still at a very early stage, it is a breakthrough concept. We are starting off with metro ticketing, and B2B logistics, and will continue to explore and add more services in the future.
“This is a complementary service for existing riders, and brings newer consumers to the Uber network. We feel there is real value in that multi-modality, being the singular go-to platform for all your mobility needs, ” says Prabhjeet.
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Vibhor Jain, Acting CEO and COO at ONDC says, “ Uber’s onboarding a significant step in expanding access to trusted, interoperable digital infrastructure in India. metro ticketing and logistics enable seamless multimodal journeys and lay the groundwork for more innovation on the network.”