Indian govt-backed ONDC introduces Saarthi reference app for businesses to create multilingual buyer apps

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has launched Saarthi, a reference application designed to assist businesses in creating their own customized buyer-side apps.

Saarthi, developed together with Bhashini, is an AI-driven language-translation tool. It provides a comprehensive framework to network participants that enables seamless integration with ONDC, offering advanced multilingual capabilities for a more inclusive digital commerce experience.

Building buyer side apps

As a reference tool, Saarthi supports network participants in building buyer apps with multilingual features.

The application initially supports five languages—Hindi, English, Marathi, Bangla, and Tamil—with plans to scale up to all 22 provided by Bhashini. This ensures that businesses can offer a personalized and localized shopping experience, breaking down language barriers and enhancing accessibility for users across India.

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Offering multilingual features

The multilingual features of Saarthi, including real-time translation, transliteration, and voice recognition, allows businesses to expand market reach, enabling companies to tap into new regions and increase customer acquisition. 

Notably, the intuitive, localized experience can also lead to higher conversion rates and reduced support costs, streamlining operations and boosting revenue.

Moreover, the Saarthi application is designed with scalability and ease of integration in mind. 

Leadership comments

T Koshy, MD & CEO at ONDC, commented,“The launch of Saarthi is a pivotal development in our journey towards a more inclusive digital commerce landscape. By providing a reference application that enables businesses to create multilingual buyer apps, we are breaking down language barriers and opening up new avenues for engagement and growth. This initiative aligns with our commitment to democratize access to e-commerce, ensuring that businesses of all sizes can connect with customers across India’s diverse linguistic spectrum.”

Amitabh Nag, CEO at Bhashini, added,“Collaborating with ONDC on Saarthi underscores Bhashini’s dedication to overcoming language barriers in digital commerce.At Bhashini, our aim is to make multilingual voice communication a universal medium, breaking language barriers across various domains beyond text and images.Our advanced language technology is designed to empower businesses to build applications that reflect the rich linguistic diversity of India. Through this collaboration, we are not only enhancing e-commerce accessibility but also setting a new standard for inclusivity in the digital marketplace.”