WinZO partners with ONDC to democratize digital commerce in India

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WinZO has announced its collaboration with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). This partnership leverages WinZO’s user base of over 175 million, which comprises of internet users accessing content in several different languages. This collaboration makes WinZO the first skill gaming company in India to team up with ONDC.

WinZO partners with third-party developers to offer multiplayer gameplay experiences in 12 languages. The platform facilitates over 4 billion micro-transactions monthly across a diverse portfolio of 100+ games. WinZO accounts for at least one out of every 300 UPI transactions in India, highlighting its impact on digital payments. With a unique demographic drawn from Tier II-V cities, WinZO’s partnership with ONDC is set to help the latter in reaching deeper into the country’s corners.

WinZO connects game developers with paying users, generating higher revenues than traditional models like advertisements and in-app purchases found on Play Stores and App Stores. Over 20% of players on the platform make their first digital payment on the platform, thus integrating into the digital economy.

WinZO Store offers ONDC a platform to enhance revenue generation and market reach for digital businesses. The store charges a single-digit commission, significantly lower than the 30% typically charged by leading distribution platforms. This reduction in commission rates improves profit margins, adds value for end-users, and provides expanded distribution channels. Over 300 digital companies have already seen revenue growth through the WinZO Store.

ONDC, which encompasses a network for services including grocery and food delivery, mobility, fashion, agri-products, and health and wellness, will list its services on the WinZO store, providing access to WinZO’s user base. This partnership aims to create a more transparent and equitable digital market landscape, encouraging innovation and growth in India’s digital commerce sector.

Expressing enthusiasm about the partnership, T Koshy, CEO of ONDC, said, “We’re super excited and delighted in welcoming WinZO to the ONDC network to advance our mission of empowering local homegrown start-ups. Together, we aim to revolutionize the digital commerce industry, fostering a vibrant ecosystem where Indian talent and innovation take center stage. Our collaboration will help the growth of local commerce and showcase the immense potential of India’s digital landscape.”

Sanjeev Singh, Joint Secretary of DPIIT, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Our aim is to onboard diverse businesses and establish a public digital infrastructure akin to UPI, uniquely crafted for India. We’re thrilled to see WinZO seamlessly integrated into this network, opening new avenues for engagement and innovation. Partnering with WinZO will enable ONDC to reach a wider user base, even in the remotest parts of the country, and create awareness about its importance in the rapidly growing tech-enabled commerce in Bharat. This will prove to be a massive push for adopting ONDC.”

Paavan Nanda, Co-founder of WinZO, highlighted the potential of this partnership, saying, “In the digital age, democratizing innovation is key to unlocking the potential of tomorrow’s entrepreneurs. Just as UPI revolutionized payments in 2018 and gave birth to companies like ours to emerge and scale across 175 million gamers. With the integration of WinZO and ONDC, we envision a future where many more WinZOs will emerge and innovate on top of this fertile layer of digital commerce that’s being built today through this partnership.”

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