ONDC Appoints Vibhor Jain as Acting CEO Following Thampy Koshy’s Exit

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has announced that Vibhor Jain will take over as Acting CEO with immediate effect. Jain is currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer and is also a member of the eight-member Executive Committee.

This leadership transition follows the resignation of former CEO Thampy Koshy, who stepped down last month after completing a three-year tenure.

Following Koshy’s exit, ONDC said in a statement 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 the organisation continues its search for a new Managing Director and CEO, all executive powers will now be transferred to Jain. The company stated that, with the move to a single leader, the responsibilities previously handled by the eight-member Executive Committee will now fall under the Acting CEO’s purview. This transition will also mark the end of the Committee’s temporary role.

Speaking about the change, Suresh Sethi, Board Member, ONDC, said in a statement, “The Executive Committee has done a commendable job of guiding ONDC during a critical phase of its journey. However, with several key strategic decisions underway, it is imperative to have a single point of leadership to drive cohesive execution.”

Vibhor Jain, Acting-CEO and COO, ONDC, said in a statement, “I am committed to working closely with the Board,  stakeholders , and the broader ecosystem to ensure continuity and momentum as we deliver on our mission to democratise digital commerce in India.”

Interestingly, it is the logistics segment—featuring players like Loadshare, Shadowfax, Zypp, and Ecom Express—that is gaining more traction on ONDC. In contrast, the retail segment, which includes e-commerce, grocery, and food delivery, has seen a decline in order volume, dropping from a peak of 6,540,667 orders in October 2024 to 4,342,204 orders in April 2025. Meanwhile, logistics orders have increased from 1,871,408 in October 2024 to 2,416,389 in April 2025.

ONDC, a Section 8 company, is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. It aims to create a facilitative model that enables an open and inclusive digital network for both buyers and sellers.

At the same time, start-ups are using ONDC to grow their fast delivery businesses, taking advantage of its open network to reach more customers quickly and compete with larger players.

For instance, Bengaluru-based start-up KiranaPro joined ONDC in February 2025 to scale its quick commerce operations. “Being directly integrated into ONDC positions us to rapidly scale our operations,” said KiranaPro co-founder and CEO Deepak Ravindran in a statement. In March 2025, the company announced that it had surpassed 200 million transactions, with the last 100 million achieved in just six months.