Introduction to GeM
Government Emarketplace is a unified digital platform that facilitates end-to-end procurement of goods and services by various Central / State Ministries, departments, organisations, public sector undertakings (PSUs) Panchayats, Cooperatives etc. Our Prime Minister’s concerted efforts to harness the power of digital platforms to achieve ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’ led to the genesis of GeM in 2016.
GeM provides a paperless, cashless and contactless ecosystem for government buyers to directly purchase products and services from pan-India sellers and service providers through an online platform. GeM covers the entire gamut of procurement process, right from vendor registration and item selection by buyers to receipt of goods and facilitation of timely payments.
GeM aims to enhance transparency, efficiency, and inclusivity in public procurement through digitisation and automation. As a Govt Tender Portal, it simplifies procurement, significantly reduces paperwork, and expedites the fulfilment of dynamic requirements for government buyers across all levels of administration.
Objectives of GeM
GeM was established to address its three key pillars:
1. Transparency: GeM seeks to eradicate the opaqueness linked to traditional government procurement practices by offering an open and transparent digital platform where all transactions are documented and accessible to relevant parties.
2. Efficiency: Through digitisation and automation, GeM speeds up decision-making and delivery, saving government agencies time and effort when floating out government tenders for procuring products and services.
3. Inclusivity: By enabling digital access from anywhere at anytime, GeM aims to encourage entrepreneurship and inclusive growth by giving pan-India sellers access to business-to-government domain, irrespective of their size.
4. Public Savings: GeM assists in lowering government procurement expenses through bulk purchases and competitive bidding. Additionally, the platform removes the need for intermediaries, which lowers expenses even more.
Features of GeM
From vendor registration to order fulfilment and payment, GeM offers cashless, contactless and paperless transactions. With special marketplace filters, the portal empowers seller segments like women-led enterprises, startups and MSEs to enhance their product listings on the website.
Several elements on GeM are intended to improve and expedite the procurement process:
1. User-Friendly Interface: The platform offers a user-friendly interface, allowing Buyers and Sellers to navigate and participate with ease.
2. Catalogue Management: GeM provides a thorough inventory of goods and services that are arranged in categories for convenience of use.
3. e-Bidding and Reverse Auction: GeM ensures competitive pricing and transparency by facilitating reverse auctions and online bidding.
4. Integration with Other Systems: GeM’s integration with several government systems, including PAN, Udyam, e-GramSwaraj and Aadhaar, ensures smooth operations and verification procedures.
GeM Initiatives
GeM has always prioritised the involvement of under-represented seller groups such as Artisans, Weavers, Craftsmen, Women-led and SC/ST MSEs, Tribal Entrepreneurs, Startups, Self Help Groups, FPOs, Divyangjan etc., in the public procurement ecosystem.
GeM facilitates “Access to Market”, “Access to Finance” and “Access to Value Addition” from anywhere at any time.
By offering purchase preferences and exemptions, GeM is helping government bodies meet the objective of mandatory procurement goal of 25% from MSEs and a sub-target procurement of 4% goods and services from MSE entrepreneurs within SC / ST communities by all government departments and public sector enterprises.
In line with the vision to empower local sellers and provide them direct market linkages in business-to-government domain, GeM has created various micro outlets under the banner of “#VocalforLocal”.
These include:
Womaniya on GeM: GeM Womaniya encourages the participation of women entrepreneurs and Self Help Groups from the informal sector in public procurement. “Womaniya” aligns with the Government’s initiative to allocate 3% of public procurement opportunities to women-owned and led MSEs.
Startup Runway: Startup Runway Outlet Store was launched in November 2019 with the objective to align Startups with Government buyers. Startup Runway offers Brand and IPR protection and facilitates Startups to exclusively list their innovative products with minimal technical specifications under 14 globally recognised subsectors..
The Saras Collection: Saras Ajeevika provides greater market access
to rural Self Help Groups in India by helping them participate in public procurement.
One District, One Product: GeM’s “One District, One Product” Bazaar showcases more than 480 categories of indigenous arts & craft products, which have been identified under ODOP Scheme or are GI-tagged.
Millets: Established in 2023 in light of the International Year of Millets, this micro outlet store showcases products by Farmer Producer Organisations, empowering them to sell directly to government buyers.
India Handloom: This GeM Outlet Store features unique,local handicrafts by weavers of India.
KHADI India: Khadi India Outlet Store showcases handwoven natural fibre products from across the country.
Registration and Onboarding
The process of registration and onboarding on GeM is straightforward for both buyers and sellers:
1. GeM buyer registration: Government organisations and departments must register on the GeM site with NIC-registered email ID only. After filling up the required fields and validating profile through verification by Aadhaar, the user is successfully registered as the Buyer.
2. GeM Sellers Registration: Manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers may register by providing information about their bank accounts, PAN, GSTIN and business type. They can list their goods and services on the marketplace after verification.
Why Choose GeM: Benefits for Stakeholders
GeM offers numerous benefits to various stakeholders involved in the procurement process:
1. For Government Buyers: The platform guarantees effective procurement through a clear approach, reasonable pricing, and a large selection of options. Additionally, it lowers administrative burden and paperwork.
2. For Sellers: GeM removes intermediaries and guarantees on-time payments by giving access to a sizable market of government buyers.
Conclusion
Through automation and digitisation of processes, GeM has led to higher process efficiencies, better information sharing, improved transparency, reduced process cycle times, and a higher level of trust among bidders. This, in turn, has resulted in greater competition and higher savings. These innovations in GeM have also brought down waiting times and prices for buyers significantly and have ensured timely payments to sellers. Its inclusive approach has created an open and diverse public procurement Portal that provides a level-playing field to start-ups, MSEs, women entrepreneurs, artisans, and craftsmen, allowing them to participate in government tenders without any barriers.
Since its inception, GeM has enabled more than INR 80,000 Crore of publics savings. GeM’s achievements have propelled it to ascend as one of the foremost e procurement platforms globally, surpassing even the most advanced counterparts such as South Korea’s KONEPS and Singapore’s GeBIZ across diverse metrics, all achieved in an astonishingly short period. Built on the pillars of Efficiency, Transparency and Inclusivity, GeM is a digital tool in nation’s interest to catalyse excellence in public procurement.