Imagine you want to buy a new Redmi phone. You open Paytm, not Flipkart or Amazon. You search, find a seller from your city, pay via UPI, and get it delivered the next day by India Post. That's ONDC for electronics in 2026, and it's more practically useful than most people give it credit for.
ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) is a government-backed protocol that works like UPI but for e-commerce. Just as UPI let any bank app send money to any other bank app, ONDC lets any buyer app surface products from any seller on the network. The seller doesn't need to be on Amazon. You don't need Flipkart. It all runs on open standards built by DPIIT, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
Electronics is one of the more active categories on ONDC right now. Smartphones, laptops, earphones, cables, home appliances, CCTV systems — sellers across these segments have been joining. And in 2026, repair services started showing up on ONDC too. Honestly, that's the more interesting development if you ask me.
If you're new to ONDC altogether, our explainer on how the open network works covers the basics before you read on.
How ONDC for electronics actually works
The network has two sides: buyer apps and seller apps. You shop on a buyer app — Paytm, Mystore, Magicpin. Sellers list products via seller apps like Shiprocket, Digihaat, or their own storefronts connected to the ONDC network.
When you search for "Samsung 65-inch TV" on a buyer app, the app pulls listings from every seller on the ONDC network carrying that product. You see prices, seller ratings, and delivery timelines. You place an order and pay through UPI. Logistics are handled by the seller's chosen provider, and India Post is now one of them. A PIB press release from early 2026 confirmed the Department of Posts delivered its first-ever ONDC order as a logistics service provider. That matters because a small-town electronics shop in Bhopal or Coimbatore can now reach customers across India with delivery infrastructure they couldn't afford to build on their own.
One thing to understand clearly: ONDC is not an app you visit. It's infrastructure. The buyer apps on top are the actual marketplaces you interact with.
What electronics you can actually buy on ONDC right now
The range is wider than most people expect. Here's what's broadly available across the network:
- Smartphones and feature phones, including Indian D2C brands expanding through alternate retail channels
- Laptops, tablets, and accessories
- Earphones, speakers, and smartwatches
- Home appliances: fans, air coolers, mixer grinders, water purifiers
- Computer peripherals: keyboards, mice, webcams, pen drives
- Networking equipment: routers and range extenders
- Cables, chargers, and phone spare parts
The selection isn't as deep as Flipkart's Big Billion Days catalog. Not yet. But the real structural advantage is in pricing. Sellers on ONDC don't pay the 20-30% commissions that Amazon and Flipkart charge. So a local authorized distributor in Surat selling genuine Logitech accessories can list at lower margins while still earning more per unit than they would on a big marketplace. For you, that can mean a few hundred rupees saved on peripherals or audio gear.
D2C electronics brands have been joining ONDC in meaningful numbers. Data tracked in Issuewire's 2026 coverage confirms D2C brands and small sellers expanded rapidly across the network through FY25-26. Electronics accessories, chargers, smart home products, and audio gear are where these brands are most active (which makes sense, actually — margins on accessories are where it matters most).
Repair services on ONDC: the part nobody is really talking about
This genuinely surprised me when I looked into it. ONDC's services category includes on-demand repair and maintenance bookings. Think of it like Urban Company, but open to any service provider who signs up via an ONDC-connected platform, without the platform fees or exclusivity agreements.
For electronics specifically, this means:
- Mobile phone screen replacement and battery swaps
- Laptop repair and RAM or SSD upgrades
- TV and AC servicing from both brand-authorized and third-party technicians
- CCTV installation and troubleshooting
- Data recovery services from local repair shops
A repair shop in Chandni Chowk or SP Road, Bangalore doesn't need its own app or a monthly fee arrangement with Urban Company to get discovered by customers. If they list on ONDC via a seller app, any buyer app that shows services will surface them. You search "phone screen repair near me" on Paytm and potentially find five options — some familiar names, some local outfits with strong ratings and cheaper rates.
Coverage is patchy in smaller cities right now. In metros it works well. The density of listed repair providers is growing quarter by quarter, and this category has compounding value. Once your preferred local repair shop is on the network, the whole thing becomes more useful fast.
Which buyer apps support ONDC electronics shopping
Not every ONDC buyer app shows electronics. Some focus only on food or hyperlocal retail. The ones that do cover gadgets as of mid-2026:
- Paytm — covers both products and services, widest reach for electronics buyers
- Mystore — ONDC's own reference buyer app, solid product range
- Magicpin — good for hyperlocal electronics shops in your area
- White-label ONDC buyer apps — search "ONDC" on the Play Store to find state-specific or category-specific versions
Shiprocket's seller platform has been actively onboarding electronics merchants to ONDC. Digihaat has specifically focused on small business owners in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and electronics retailers are a meaningful share of those new listings. As more sellers join through these platforms, the product catalog on every buyer app gets richer automatically. That's the open network model working as intended.
Our buyer app setup guides walk through the process for each major app if you want step-by-step instructions.
Why small electronics shops are actually joining ONDC
From the seller side, the picture is pretty straightforward: Amazon and Flipkart are expensive. Commissions are high, visibility needs heavy advertising spend, and both platforms increasingly compete against their own sellers using private label products. For an authorized dealer of Sony headphones or a small importer of genuine accessories, that's a genuinely frustrating position to be in.
ONDC is a real alternative. Lower commissions. Control over customer data. No gatekeeper deciding your search ranking based on ad spend. A seller in Hyderabad can list on ONDC via Shiprocket and reach buyers on Paytm without building a marketplace relationship from scratch.
India Post's entry as a logistics provider removes one of the biggest barriers for sellers in smaller cities. When your nearest reliable courier is erratic, a post office option is genuinely useful (annoying that it took this long, I know). And given that India Post has presence in over 1.5 lakh locations across the country, the reach this adds to small electronics sellers is significant.
Volume on ONDC is still nowhere near Amazon or Flipkart. ONDC is an additional channel for sellers, not a replacement. Buyers should expect better deals on accessories and D2C brands, but for flagship phones, prices tend to be similar across platforms.
How to start buying electronics on ONDC
Simpler than you might think. No new account, no fresh KYC — most buyer apps use your existing mobile number and UPI setup.
- Download Paytm or Mystore, or search "ONDC buyer app" on the Play Store
- Go to the shopping or products section within the app
- Search specifically — "boAt Airdopes 141" works better than just "earphones"
- Filter by seller rating and check estimated delivery to your pincode
- Pay via UPI — PhonePe, GPay, and Paytm UPI all work
- Track your order through the same buyer app
Returns and refunds go through the buyer app. ONDC has dispute resolution built into the protocol. It's not perfect — escalation for difficult cases is still being refined — but for standard return requests and reputable sellers, it works. Most issues get resolved within 5-7 working days.
For repair services, the process is the same. Search by service type, check ratings and quoted prices, book a slot, pay after the job is done. Most technicians accept UPI on the spot too.
What ONDC for electronics still needs to fix
Honest answer: quite a bit.
Search quality is inconsistent across buyer apps. The same query might return ten results on Paytm and three on Mystore, depending on how that app queries the network. Seller ratings are sparse for newly joined merchants, which makes quality assessment hard. And there's no equivalent of Flipkart Assured or Amazon Fulfilled — you're trusting the individual seller's listing accuracy, which varies.
Delivery speed for high-value electronics is slower than what the big platforms offer with their own warehousing. If you need a laptop delivered tomorrow for a work deadline, ONDC is not your answer yet. For anything above INR 20,000, most buyers still default to established platforms where returns and warranty claims feel more predictable. I'm not sure exactly why the trust gap is closing so slowly, but it is closing.
For repairs, the metro experience is genuinely useful. Smaller cities are a different story — listed provider density is still thin in most tier-2 towns.
None of this means ONDC for electronics isn't worth using. For accessories, cables, audio gear, mid-range gadgets, and repair services in cities, it's already a practical alternative. And if you have a local electronics shop you trust, check whether they've joined ONDC — their prices there might be sharper than on any big marketplace. Use our comparison tools to find the best deal across platforms before you buy.
