Another key architect of India’s ambitious digital commerce revolution has moved on.
Arvind Gupta, founding member and the first independent director of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), has stepped down after completing his three-year term, becoming the latest top-level exit from the government-backed e-commerce platform.
Gupta, who is also the head and co-founder of Digital India Foundation, played a foundational role in shaping ONDC’s early vision and policy direction.
“I was a founding member of ONDC and the first independent director. I completed my three-year term as an independent director and decided not to continue further,” Gupta told Indian Startup Times.
His departure follows a string of recent exits at ONDC, including MD & CEO Thampy Koshy, Chairperson R.S. Sharma, and Chief Business Officer Shireesh Joshi—raising questions about leadership continuity as the network moves into a critical scaling phase.
ONDC, envisioned as India’s protocol-based open network to democratize e-commerce, operates under the governance of a board of directors and advisory council. With Gupta stepping down, ONDC is now left with three independent directors:
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Adil Zainulbhai, Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission
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Anjali Bansal, Founder and Chairperson of Avaana Capital
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Ritesh Tiwari, CFO of Hindustan Unilever Ltd.
Despite governance changes, ONDC continues to expand its footprint—though growth has recently seen fluctuations. In April 2025, the network recorded 4.34 million retail orders, but this dipped by 6.2% to 4.07 million in May. Logistics transactions also declined from 2.41 million in April to 2.32 million in May.
As ONDC looks to strengthen its leadership and stabilize operational growth, Gupta’s legacy remains embedded in the network’s founding architecture.
-By Muskan Dengra, Indian Startup Times
