At the Global Fintech Festival in Mumbai on 17 September 2026, payments giant Visa signed a memorandum of understanding with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to explore an open-network platform that could radically simplify how travellers—domestic and inbound—plan and purchase trips within India. ONDC is the government-backed protocol that aims to do for commerce what UPI did for payments: create interoperable rails that any app can plug into. Under the proposed collaboration, Visa will layer its ‘trusted discovery’ APIs and risk-management tools onto ONDC’s network, enabling users to search for flights, rail tickets, hotel rooms, activities and even local guides across multiple suppliers without toggling between apps or risking fraudulent listings. For inbound visitors, the system could auto-surface region-specific passes, e-visa application links, and FRRO compliance reminders in a single workflow. Why it matters for mobility teams: Corporate travel managers could gain live inventory and negotiated rates from small and mid-cap suppliers that rarely feature on global distribution systems, helping firms comply with India’s new sustainability reporting guidelines that favour rail over air on sub-500-km sectors. Expat assignees might benefit from automated tax-invoice capture, integrated GST refunds and localised content in multiple languages. Challenges and next steps: ONDC still faces adoption hurdles among smaller tourism SMEs, many of whom lack digital catalogues. Visa’s involvement is expected to accelerate onboarding by offering risk scorecards and secure payment rails. A pilot covering Kerala and Maharashtra is scheduled for Q1 2027. The companies will also study how the platform can integrate with DigiLocker and the forthcoming biometric Fast Track Immigration (FTI-TTP) system to create a genuinely end-to-end travel stack.
Source: TTR Weekly
