Small businesses in India often know they should sell online but are put off by commissions, catalogue work and logistics. The government's answer is the Trade Enablement and Marketing scheme, known as TEAM, which is meant to help micro and small enterprises sell through the Open Network for Digital Commerce, or ONDC.
This article explains what has been reported about the scheme and how a small brand can prepare. Schemes change, so check the official notification and portal before relying on any figure here.
What has been reported
- Scheme: Trade Enablement and Marketing (TEAM), run by the Ministry of MSME.
- Outlay: ₹277 crore, reported to run until 2026-27.
- Target: 5 lakh micro and small enterprises.
- Support: subsidies routed through seller network participants to help cover cataloguing, account management, packaging and logistics.
- Focus: small sellers including self-help groups, farmer producer organisations, artisans, rural entrepreneurs and local retailers, with a stated aim that half the beneficiaries are women-led enterprises.
On the network side, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry told the Lok Sabha on 16 December 2025 that more than 1.16 lakh retail sellers were live on ONDC across over 630 cities and towns, as of 9 December 2025.
Why it matters for small brands
ONDC is an open network, so a seller can be discovered through different buyer apps instead of listing separately on each marketplace. It has been positioned as a route to reach customers without the high commissions of conventional marketplaces. For a small brand, the scheme lowers the cost of getting started. It does not do the marketing for you.
Getting ready before you onboard
- Get your basics in order: business registration, GST where applicable, bank details and product compliance.
- Prepare a clean catalogue with clear photos, accurate descriptions, prices and stock.
- Know your costs per order, including packaging, shipping and returns, so you can tell whether a sale makes money.
- Choose a seller network participant by comparing what it charges and what support it gives.
- Plan fulfilment: who packs, who ships, and how fast.
- Keep your own site and social channels strong. Marketplace listings rent attention. Your own channels build a customer list you control.
Where marketing still matters
Being listed is not the same as being found. Brands still need a clear position, good content and a way to bring buyers back. Our ecommerce development and optimisation work helps with the catalogue and store side, and social media and content marketing builds the awareness that drives people to look for you. If you also sell on large marketplaces, see Amazon and marketplace growth .
The takeaway
TEAM lowers the entry cost for small sellers, which makes ONDC worth a serious look. Treat it as one channel in a wider plan, and confirm eligibility and current terms with the official sources before you apply.
Sources
Inc42, Centre to launch trade marketing scheme to help small enterprises join ONDC
