As our nation's backbone, the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector plays a pivotal role in fostering employment opportunities and reducing regional imbalances. In a significant stride towards fostering digital inclusion in the MSME sector, the Quality Council of India (QCI) and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) are proud to announce the launch of the DigiReady Certification (DRC) portal. 

For the initiative, QCI, in conjunction with ONDC, aim to assess and certify digital readiness of MSME entities. By leveraging this online self-assessment tool, MSMEs can evaluate their preparedness to seamlessly onboard as sellers on the ONDC platform, thereby expanding their digital capabilities and business potential.

The DRC portal is meticulously designed to facilitate a streamlined seller journey, ensuring that MSMEs and small retailers can integrate seamlessly into existing digitized workflows. The certification process evaluates various aspects of digital readiness, including the presence of necessary documentation for online operations, proficiency in using software and technology, integration with existing digitized workflows, and efficient management of orders and catalogue offerings.

On this occasion, Shri Jaxay Shah, Chairperson, QCI, stated that “DigiReady Certification (DRC) initiative is in line with our Hon'ble Prime Minister's call to sensitize villages and promote digital transactions. It also resonates with the objectives of the recently launched FIRST (Forum for Internet Retailers, Sellers, and Traders). The launch of the DRC portal marks a pivotal moment in our mission to empower MSMEs and make e-commerce more inclusive and accessible.”

Mr T Koshy, MD & CEO, ONDC remarked, “The DigiReady certification (DRC) can be a transformative leap for MSMEs, equipping them with the digital capabilities needed to navigate the evolving ecommerce business landscape. DRC accelerates the integration of MSMEs into the Network while also amplifying their potential to thrive in the digital economy. It's a testament to our commitment to foster digital inclusion to enable a more robust and empowered future for everyone.”

For further information on the DigiReady Certification (DRC) initiative, interested parties can visit the official DRC portal at https://digiready.qcin.org/. 

Digital readiness certification enables MSMEs to demonstrate onboarding preparedness for platform-based ecommerce and wider digital inclusion. The DigiReady Certification portal establishes a self-assessment and certification mechanism to evaluate digital readiness of MSMEs and small retailers for seller onboarding on a networked ecommerce platform by assessing essential online-operation documentation, software and technology proficiency, integration with digitised workflows, and management of orders and catalogue offerings.