ONDC Launches Saarthi: Tool for Developing Customized Buyer-Side Apps

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has introduced Saarthi, a reference application developed to help businesses create their own customized buyer-side apps. Saarthi, developed in collaboration with Bhashini, an AI-driven language translation tool, provides a framework that allows Network Participants to integrate seamlessly with ONDC, offering multilingual support for a more inclusive digital commerce experience.

Multilingual Support for Buyer Apps

Saarthi enables Network Participants to build buyer apps with multilingual features, initially supporting five languages: Hindi, English, Marathi, Bangla, and Tamil. There are plans to expand support to all 22 languages available through Bhashini, ensuring businesses can provide personalized and localized shopping experiences. This breaks down language barriers, improving accessibility for users across India.

Expanding Market Reach and Improving User Engagement

The multilingual features of Saarthi, including real-time translation, transliteration, and voice recognition, enable businesses to reach new markets and regions, increasing customer acquisition. Personalized user experiences improve customer engagement and loyalty, while the application's localized approach can boost conversion rates and reduce support costs. This is particularly valuable for businesses looking to expand into underserved regions where language barriers have historically limited e-commerce growth.

Scalability and Easy Integration

Saarthi is designed for scalability and easy integration, ensuring that businesses can adopt the platform without significant development efforts. The application is regularly updated, providing access to the latest features and security enhancements. Extensive testing and expertise ensure that Saarthi offers a reliable solution for businesses looking to improve their digital commerce capabilities.

Amitabh Nag, CEO at Bhashini, added, “Collaborating with ONDC on Saarthi underscores Bhashini’s dedication to overcoming language barriers in digital commerce. At Bhashini, we aim 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.”

Bhashini Sprint Hackathon Advances Language Technology for Digital Inclusion

In a related initiative, the Bhashini Sprint, a recent hackathon aimed at advancing language technology and promoting digital inclusion, has contributed to ongoing efforts to improve digital commerce. The event brought together innovators to develop solutions addressing linguistic challenges, aligning with the objectives of Saarthi and supporting broader initiatives to enhance digital accessibility across India.