Visa and ONDC Announce Intent to Explore Collaboration to Enhance Tourism Discovery in India
At the Global Fintech Festival, 2026, Visa and the Open
Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) announced their intent to explore collaboration
aimed at enhancing tourism discovery and digital commerce experiences in India.
Purpose of Collaboration
- Visa and ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) plan to explore ways to enhance tourism discovery and digital commerce in India.
- Goal: simplify how travelers discover experiences, itineraries, destinations, and local businesses through a trusted, open digital ecosystem.
Key Highlights
- Visa’s role: Expertise in secure digital commerce and intelligent discovery experiences.
- ONDC’s role: Homegrown open network infrastructure, already facilitating 500M+ lifetime transactions across retail, logistics, and financial services.
- Tourism focus: Supported by India’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture, aiming to build a dedicated tourism track on ONDC.
Industry Voices
- Suresh Sethi (Visa): Emphasized India’s futuristic approach with open networks, positioning ONDC as digital infrastructure for tourism.
- Hrushikesh Mehta (ONDC): Highlighted ONDC’s mission to create markets for sellers and choice for buyers, with tourism as a major opportunity.
Potential Impact
- A unified platform for discovering cities, experiences, itineraries, and SMEs in tourism.
- Strengthens India’s ambition to be a more accessible and attractive destination for both domestic and international travelers.
- Supports local economies by connecting small businesses to global demand.
This partnership is part of a broader trend where digital public infrastructure meets global commerce networks—India is positioning tourism as a key sector for innovation.
