Gupshup launches India's first conversational buyer app on the govt-backed ONDC

Gupshup, the world's leading Conversation Cloud, has launched what it claims to be India's first Conversational Buyer App on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).

The announcement was made at the Conversations 2024 event in Delhi. The app allows buyers to use a WhatsApp-based conversational interface to discover, browse, and purchase products from sellers on the ONDC network without the need to download any additional mobile applications.

What does the app offer?

The app enables users to share their location over chat, browse sellers nearby, order food, and make payments directly through WhatsApp.

Initially, the app is in Beta and offers limited availability, primarily for ordering food and beverages such as biryani. According to Gupshup, support for additional conversational channels like Google RCS and Voice will be added soon.

The company said the capability will also be extended to Gupshup's enterprise customers who want to integrate conversational commerce into their chatbots.

Addressing the diverse needs of India's population

The Conversational Buyer App aims to address the diverse needs of India's population, which uses various mobile tools and languages and possesses different levels of technological expertise.

Beerud Sheth, CEO of Gupshup, stated, "India's diverse population uses different mobile tools, varied languages, and possesses different levels of tech-savvy. But they all know how to chat via WhatsApp. Delivering conversational experiences via the messaging app is the only way to reach everyone. Gupshup's Buyer App on ONDC brings the vast commerce network to users nationwide, usable in any language, quickly and easily. This will truly transform digital commerce on a population scale in India."

Aligning with ONDC's goals

The ONDC initiative, launched by the Indian government's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, aims to foster an open and inclusive e-commerce ecosystem in India.

Since its official introduction in January 2023, ONDC has processed over 49.79 million transactions, with transportation services and food and beverages categories seeing significant traction. Gupshup's app aligns with ONDC's mission by making digital commerce accessible to more people through a familiar platform like WhatsApp.

Plans to continue expand offerings

Gupshup is a global leader in conversational engagement solutions, enabling over 45,000 brands across various regions to enhance customer experience and increase revenue.

Gaurav Kachhawa, Chief Product Officer at Gupshup, emphasized, "Gupshup Conversation Cloud makes it easy for businesses to build rich conversational commerce experiences with AI-powered natural language interactions, in any language, over text and voice, with deep personalization, across the entire customer lifecycle. This ONDC Buyer App is the perfect demonstration of the significant impact of conversational experiences and the unique ability of Gupshup's platform to enable them."

The company plans to continue expanding its offerings, making it easier for businesses to participate in the ONDC eCommerce ecosystem.