Latest news with #OpenNetworkforDigitalCommerce
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
After its data was wiped, KiranaPro's co-founder cannot rule out an external hack
Indian grocery delivery startup KiranaPro's recent data loss story has more holes than Swiss cheese, as the startup remains unclear whether the incident was an internal breach or an external hack. Last week, the Bengaluru-based startup discovered that it could not access its back-end servers and that all its data, including its app code, had been deleted from GitHub. The startup on Friday blamed a former employee for the breach. However, in an interview, KiranaPro co-founder and CEO Deepak Ravindran conceded that the company had not deactivated the employee's account after they departed the company and cannot rule out the possibility of subsequent malicious misuse of their account. "If we go deeper, we have to do a real forensic investigation. We are going to talk [about] this with our board, the investors, and we are going to get a formal opinion on that also with our legal advisers," Ravindran told TechCrunch. Earlier on Friday, Ravindran claimed in a post on X that the incident that affected its data was an internal breach. "After careful investigation, we conclude that this was not a hack. No external party penetrated our ordering or payment systems, exploited vulnerabilities, or bypassed security protocols," he wrote. The co-founder also explicitly shared a screenshot of a LinkedIn profile of one of KiranaPro's former employees on X on Thursday, alleging that they had deleted the startup's code. (TechCrunch is not sharing the post's link, as the startup has yet to offer concrete proof supporting its position.) "[T]his was an internal data breach. Specifically, it was the result of actions taken by a trusted internal employee who had legitimate access to our systems," the co-founder wrote in his post on Friday. "This individual intentionally deleted critical server logs while they were being tested and/or edited, an action that goes directly against our policies, our principles, and the trust we place in our team." When TechCrunch asked if KiranaPro could rule out whether any third party had maliciously gained access to the former employee's account, Ravindran could not. "We have to do a complete forensic check on the company. We have to do the entire IP scan. We have to look at where the tracks happened. We have to check the computers, MacBooks, and whatever is used. Everything has to be done. Then we have to spend money … so, that's why we decided not to," he told TechCrunch. Then what was the basis of Ravindran's allegation? It was a GitHub response, a copy of which he shared with TechCrunch. The response included a username, which Ravindran said was associated with the former employee. "All we have is the emails that we got from GitHub, stating that [the former employee's username] as an individual is the one who deleted the account. We haven't done the investigation further," Ravindran told TechCrunch. Launched in late 2024, KiranaPro operates as a buyer app on the Indian government's Open Network for Digital Commerce. The startup allows more than 55,000 customers in 50 cities to purchase groceries from their local shops and nearby supermarkets using its voice-based interface. The company also supports local language inputs, including English, Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil. Ravindran stated that they decided to call out the former employee based on the company's "belief system," as they claim the former employee deleted the data after their sudden termination. However, the startup said it is not aware if there were enough protections on the former employee's devices, such as multi-factor authentication, to restrict malicious third-party access, like malware. The company confirmed it did not remove the employee's access to its data and GitHub account following his departure. "Employee offboarding was not being handled properly because there was no full-time HR," KiranaPro's chief technology officer, Saurav Kumar, confirmed to TechCrunch. Alongside its code saved in GitHub, KiranaPro also lost access to its Amazon Web Services (AWS) account, which included its customer data and their transaction details. Ravindran told TechCrunch that the GitHub data was restored after getting its backup from one of their employees. The startup also regained access to its AWS account along with its customer data. Both the co-founder and CTO said the AWS account was protected by multi-factor authentication, but neither could say how the account was accessed, as nobody else had physical access to Ravindran's phone, which generates the multi-factor code. Nonetheless, Ravindran claimed that the customer data stored in the AWS cloud remained intact and was not accessed by any third parties, nor was it downloaded by the former employee in question. "Because if that is the case, I will get its notification on email or anything [sic]," he said. That said, Ravindran stated that the startup has enough evidence to file a formal complaint with the police, but said that its investigation is ongoing. The startup has also not fully paid its current employees, the company's co-founder confirmed, soon after the company raised a seed round of ₹100 million Indian rupees (about $1.2 million), which Ravindran said has yet to be fully wired. The startup counts Blume Ventures, Unpopular Ventures, and Turbostart among its institutional venture backers, as well as Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and Boston Consulting Group managing director Vikas Taneja among its angel investors. It has 15 employees located in Bengaluru and Kerala. 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Fashion Network
3 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Ekart debuts on ONDC to bolster logistics capabilities
Logistics and supply chain provider Ekart has joined the Open Network for Digital Commerce, marking a key milestone in the growth of Indian logistics infrastructure. By integrating with the e-commerce ecosystem, brands of all sizes can access Ekart's nationwide logistics capabilities. By onboarding Ekart, the network strengthens its logistics offerings, a move aligned with ONDC's broader strategy to rapidly scale e-commerce logistics, ONDC announced in a press release. With its wide delivery footprint, technology-driven fulfilment, and operational depth, Ekart brings reliability and reach to sellers across sectors including fashion and lifestyle, direct to customer, fast moving consumer goods, and beauty and personal care. 'This integration marks a significant step in democratising access to world-class logistics," said ONDC's acting CEO and COO Vibhor Jain in a press release. "Ekart's scale and operational depth bring vital logistics capacity to the ONDC.' For sellers, this means simplified access to pan-India delivery services via a single interface, supporting efficient order fulfilment across all serviceable pincodes. The move is expected to enhance service quality and offer a more inclusive commerce model for businesses of all sizes, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises. 'With this integration, Ekart brings to the table nationwide reach, deep logistics expertise, and a strong commitment to service excellence," said Ekart's chief business officer Mani Bhushan. "Together with ONDC Network, we look forward to empowering businesses, MSMEs with greater access, efficiency, and growth opportunities.'
Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Uber now lets you book Delhi metro ticket: Here's how to do it
Uber last week announced that it has tied up with the government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), allowing users to buy QR code-based metro tickets. The move follows Uber competitor Rapido's partnership with ONDC, which allowed people in Delhi and Chennai to book metro tickets via ONDC. Currently available in Delhi-NCR, the government-backed initiative makes it possible for public transit operators like Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and private mobility solutions like Uber to interact using a standardised protocol. If you are looking for how to quickly book your metro ticket from Uber and skip the long queue this Delhi summer, here's how to do it in a few steps. In case you want a receipt of the metro ticket, simply tap on the Receipt button that appears below, and you will be redirected to a new page, which you can see in the rightmost part of the image above. As is the case with all metro tickets, the QR code-based ticket booked from Uber will only be valid till the end of the service day, meaning you won't be able to use it the next day. Note: Uber says metro ticket booking is currently only available in Delhi-NCR and will be expanded to more cities in the future. The private transit app is also offering a discount of 20 per cent, but it is unclear if this is available to select users or will be available on future bookings as well. As of now, ONDC does not charge any network fee, but the open-sourced government initiative has proposed to charge Rs 1.5 for every transaction that amounts to more than Rs 250 from July 1, 2025.
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Why does Uber charge Advance Tips, and why is it under government scrutiny now?
Last week, India's consumer protection watchdog issued a notice to global ride-hailing giant Uber, asking for an explanation for its 'Advanced Tip' feature. Pralhad Joshi, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, also called the practice 'deeply concerning' on social media. 'Forcing or nudging users to pay a tip in advance, for faster service is unethical and exploitative. Such actions fall under unfair trade practices. Tip is given as a token of appreciation not as a matter of right, after the service,' Joshi said, adding, 'Fairness, transparency and accountability must be upheld in all customer interactions.' He said the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) is also investigating other ride-hailing apps, including Ola and Rapido. They will be served notices if found to be indulging in such practices. When a user requests a ride on Uber, the app prompts the user to 'Add a tip for faster pickup'. 'A driver may be more likely to accept this ride if you add a tip. Your driver receives 100% of the tip. If you add a tip now, you can't change it later,' it says. Rapido, an Indian app, similarly urges users to increase the ride fare, saying the available drivers are not accepting a ride at the current price. Ola also tells users that their chances of getting a ride more quickly may increase if they add a tip. When and why did companies start this feature? Namma Yatri, which is backed by the government initiative Open Network for Digital Commerce, was the first to start this feature in 2022, and Rapido implemented it in 2023. Uber announced it in November last year and implemented it in April 2025. 'Companies don't have to pay 5% GST on the tip (which aggregators have to pay for passenger services otherwise), so they get drivers to earn more through this feature. To avoid an unfair advantage, all players eventually moved to this model,' according to an industry source. 'Offering drivers tips upfront has thus become an industry norm, with different names,' the source added. 'This option of adding extra fare is a transparent way of informing the Customer about any probable surge pricing which may get activated if demand is high in that particular area. However, this is completely optional and only gets applied when a customer chooses to do so,' a Rapido spokesperson said. The Indian Express earlier reported that following the Centre's action, Namma Yatri recently renamed its 'add a tip' option as 'add more (voluntary)' to find a ride. The company also defended its policy, saying customers are given the option only after no driver accepts the ride request within 30 seconds. According to Shivam Singh, an Advocate at the Supreme Court who practises in consumer litigation, 'Upfront tipping institutionalises practices such as haggling with auto drivers on the road, which people were looking to escape by using such apps. While it is shown as discretionary, that discretion gets skewed if you tell a user that someone else might get that cab if you don't tip the driver now.' He added that the practice 'is something that appears coercive', and that 'It does look like an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act of 2019.' Under the Act, unfair methods employed to promote the sale of an item include false representations about its quality and quantity, among other things. Could this be a type of dark pattern? The issue highlights 'dark patterns', often used by companies to influence consumer behaviour in their favour. Design patterns (such as user interface/user experience) are built to mislead or trick users into doing something they originally did not intend or want to do. The CCPA also issued guidelines in 2023, aimed at regulating and prohibiting dark patterns. One such tactic listed in the guidelines is false urgency. It refers to falsely stating or implying a sense of urgency or scarcity to mislead a user into making an immediate purchase, or taking immediate action that may lead to a purchase. It can include presenting false data on high demand without appropriate context, like saying, 'Only 2 rooms left! 30 others are looking at this right now.' Another category of such practices is drip pricing, where elements of prices are not revealed upfront or revealed surreptitiously within the user experience. For example, the price of an aeroplane ticket at the checkout may be a certain amount, but a higher price is charged when making the payment. In 2024, the Advertising Standards Council of India analysed around 12,000 screens from 53 apps across nine industries, identifying an average of 2.7 deceptive patterns per app. It included apps like Ola, Uber and Rapido, and found that 32% of surveyed companies showed instances of false urgency, and 42% engaged in drip pricing. Devansh Mittal is a trainee correspondent with The Indian Express. He studied political science at Ashoka University. He can be reached at ... Read More
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Planning a metro ride? Now book your Delhi Metro ticket on Uber app
Delhi metro NEW DELHI: Uber, a ride-hailing platform announced on Monday the launch of metro ticketing on its application, powered by the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), starting with Delhi Metro. The company said three more Indian cities are expected to go live with this feature in 2025. Additionally, Uber plans to launch a B2B logistics solution via the ONDC network, enabling businesses to request on-demand logistics through Uber's delivery network without the need for a dedicated fleet. "Uber today announced the rollout of metro ticketing on the Uber app, powered by the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), with Delhi Metro going live as the first launch city. This marks Uber's first integration with India's pioneering digital public infrastructure and a major step forward in making public transport more connected," the company said in a press release. The launch follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2024 during Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's visit to India, where the company committed to collaborating with ONDC to enhance the reach of India's digital public goods. "Today's launch is a tangible realisation of that commitment, reinforcing Uber's mission to make urban mobility more inclusive, sustainable, and seamlessly connected," the release stated. Praveen Neppalli Naga , Chief Technology Officer at Uber, said, 'India has taken an impressive leap in building population-scale technology through its Digital Public Infrastructure like ONDC, and we are thrilled to integrate with them to bring metro ticketing to the Uber app—bringing us one step closer to our vision of being a one-stop shop for mobility needs.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cost Of Amusement Park Equipment From Mexico Might Surprise You - See Tips Amusement Park Equipment | search ads Click Here Undo Vibhor Jain , Acting CEO and COO at ONDC, called Uber's onboarding a significant milestone in expanding access to trusted, interoperable digital infrastructure. 'As a global platform, Uber's initial enablement of metro ticketing and logistics unlocks new possibilities—from seamless multimodal journeys to unifying a fragmented logistics ecosystem. This collaboration lays the foundation for future innovations from Uber on the Network, enhancing value for users, partners, and the broader mobility and services landscape,' Jain said. Starting today, Uber users in Delhi can plan metro journeys, purchase QR-based tickets , and access real-time transit information directly within the Uber app.
