Compliance Handbook

🏛️ Legal Compliance Handbook

Welcome to the Legal Compliance Handbook. Drafted by Khaitan & Co, this Handbook is designed to help you understand the legal landscape as a Network Participant on the ONDC network. This handbook breaks down key e-commerce regulations into easy-to-digest sections, covering everything from food safety to consumer protection This is an indicative list that focuses on obligations relating to e-commerce transactions, and the actual obligations may vary on a case-to-case basis depending on other factors such as the participant’s business model, structure, roles, etc.

Please note that this handbook only seeks to cover laws and regulations specified in this document. NPs must evaluate other laws and regulations that may apply to the operating domain/category. This document is merely a general overview of the legal obligations that participants may be required to comply with. We advise each participant to conduct their assessment of the requisite compliances, based on their specific business model. This handbook will be regularly updated to reflect changes in law, compliance expectations, and internal policies.

This document has been created for informational purposes only. Neither ONDC or Khaitan & Co nor any of its partners, associates or allied professionals shall be liable for any interpretation or accuracy of the information contained herein, including any errors or incompleteness. This document is intended for non-commercial use and for the general consumption of the reader, and should not be considered as legal advice or legal opinion of any form and may not be relied upon by any person for such purpose. It may not be quoted or referred to in any public document, or shown to, or filed with any government authority, agency or other official body.

📚 Table of Contents

🏛️ Legal Compliance Handbook

1. Purpose of the Handbook

🔗 This compliance handbook highlights the key obligations under certain legislations (relating to e-commerce) that Network Participants (“NP”) of the ONDC network may be required to ensure compliance with. This is an indicative list that focuses on obligations relating to e-commerce transactions, and the actual obligations may vary on a case-to-case basis depending on other factors such as the participant’s business model, structure, roles, etc.

Please note that this handbook only seeks to cover laws and regulations specified in this document. NPs must evaluate other laws and regulations that may apply to the operating domain/category. This document is merely a general overview of the legal obligations that participants may be required to comply with. We advise each participant to conduct their assessment of the requisite compliances, based on their specific business model.

2. How to Use the Handbook

This Handbook is structured to help Network Participants on the ONDC network easily identify and understand their legal and regulatory obligations based on the sector(s) they operate in. Each section has been clearly demarcated to offer a focused view - ranging from overarching legal frameworks to sector-specific requirements.

To begin, NPs are encouraged to review the Brief Overview section (Link), which details key concepts of principal legislations, key concepts, and compliance requirements. This snapshot can help quickly identify which laws are relevant to a participant’s operations. From there, users can access the Detailed Compliance Requirements and Sector-Specific Pages, which contain more granular obligations, licensing requirements, and regulator-specific details tailored to each business domain.

This Handbook is intended as a living document and will be updated periodically to reflect changes in applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies. The Review & Update Schedule at the end of the document provides transparency on version history and update frequency. Users should always refer to the most recent version and verify requirements with relevant regulators, wherever necessary.

For optimal use, it is recommended that each NP map their role and business activities on the ONDC network to the sectors and obligations described herein. Where multiple sectors apply, participants should refer to all relevant sections. This Handbook is meant to be used as a reference guide and should be supplemented with internal legal review, where applicable.

🧾 Brief Overview of Applicable Laws

Summarizes key laws: FSSAI, GST, E-commerce rules, DPDP, etc.
🔗 Overview of Legal Framework

🏷️ Sector-Specific Compliance Pages

Each page provides detailed legal obligations, licenses required, registration norms, sectoral regulators, and relevant notifications.

Sector No.	Sector Name	Link
I	Food & Beverage	View
II	Groceries and Pet Supplies	View
III	Fashion and Footwear	View
IV	Electronics	View
V	Gaming Industry	View
VI	OTT Media Services	View
VII	Agriculture Inputs (Fertilizers and Pesticides)	View
VIII	Home Decor	View
IX	Mobility and Transportation	View
X	Gift Cards and Service Industry	View
XI	Pharmacy and Healthcare Devices	View
XII	Fresh Produces and Products	View
XIII	Education Services	View
XIV	Beauty and Personal Care	View
XV	Financial Services	View

🔁 Review & Update Schedule

Section	Last Updated	Next Review
Handbook	June 2025	Jan 2026

📬 Contact

For queries, suggestions, or updates, please contact at [email protected]