ONDC Independent Director Arvind Gupta Resigns After Completing Three-Year Term

Arvind Gupta, an independent director of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), has resigned, marking the latest high-profile departure from the government-backed e-commerce network.

Confirming Gupta’s exit, ONDC stated, “Arvind Gupta, a key founding member of ONDC, has played an instrumental role in shaping ONDC and guiding its early growth. After completing a full three-year term of impactful guidance as an independent director, he has decided not to continue in his role. Gupta remains a strong advocate of ONDC’s mission and will continue to extend his support to the network.”

The ONDC is governed by a board of directors and an advisory council. The board comprises founding members, shareholders, government nominees and independent directors.

“I was a founding member of ONDC and the first independent director. I completed my three-year term and decided not to continue further,” Gupta, who is head and co-founder of the Digital India Foundation, told ET.

When asked about the possibility of returning, he said, “Board directors rotate when their terms get completed.”

Gupta’s resignation leaves ONDC with three independent directors: Adil Zainulbhai, chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission; Anjali Bansal, founder and chairperson of Avaana Capital; and Ritesh Tiwari, executive director of finance and IT and chief financial officer of Hindustan Unilever Limited.

In April the network processed 4.34 million retail orders, which decreased by 6.2 % to 4.07 million in May. Similarly, orders for on-network logistics dropped to 2.32 million in May from 2.41 million in April.

ONDC Acting CEO

ONDC has appointed Vibhor Jain as acting CEO, effective immediately. Jain, currently the chief operating officer and a member of the eight-member executive committee, assumes the role following the resignation of former CEO Thampy Koshy, who stepped down last month after a three-year tenure.

Following Koshy’s exit, ONDC stated that, like any dynamic and growing organisation, it is undergoing a leadership transition, with Koshy choosing to step down while continuing to assist with the handover.

As ONDC continues its search for a new managing director and CEO, all executive powers have been transferred to Jain. The organisation noted that, with the shift to a single leader, the responsibilities previously managed by the eight-member executive committee will now fall under the acting CEO’s purview, marking the end of the committee’s temporary role.