By Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry
The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has emerged as a transparent, inclusive and efficient platform for public procurement, connecting 1.37 lakh government buyers with more than 25 lakh sellers and service providers.
What sets GeM apart is its ability to integrate the major activities associated with procurement into a single, large-scale digital marketplace. By combining global best practices with the government’s commitment to inclusive growth, GeM has become an important engine supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
A decade after Prime Minister Modi launched this transformative digital initiative in 2016, GeM has fundamentally changed government procurement by promoting transparency, reducing opportunities for corruption and creating greater opportunities for startups, MSMEs, women entrepreneurs and businesses from smaller cities.
The user-friendly platform has transformed a procurement ecosystem that previously faced criticism over opaque and non-competitive processes. GeM has helped create a system in which businesses can compete more openly for government orders.
It is also significant that the modern Vanijya Bhawan, the headquarters of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, stands on the site where the earlier procurement organisation once operated.
As Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, I am proud that GeM, launched on August 9, 2016, is completing a decade of service. This is not merely a milestone of numbers; it represents a fundamental transformation in the way government procurement contributes to nation-building.
Transparency and Ease of Doing Business
From product discovery and bidding to contract awards and payments, GeM has digitised the procurement process end-to-end.
This has helped reduce arbitrary decision-making, encourage fair competition and strengthen public confidence. Every transaction generates a digital and auditable record, enhancing accountability and reinforcing integrity in public procurement.
GeM is an important component of Prime Minister Modi’s Ease of Doing Business agenda.
Through a single digital window, simplified registration, standardised procedures and continuous policy reforms, the platform has substantially lowered barriers to participation. Measures such as removing certain earnest-money requirements and rationalising transaction fees have further improved access to government procurement.
Advancing Aatmanirbhar Bharat
GeM has played an important role in advancing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat by promoting domestic enterprises and self-reliance.
By providing greater opportunities to domestic manufacturers and service providers, the platform has strengthened local value chains and encouraged indigenous production.
Every order placed through GeM represents an investment in India’s manufacturing capabilities and economic sovereignty.
Notably, micro and small enterprises (MSEs) account for approximately 60% of orders by volume and more than 45% of GeM’s Gross Merchandise Value (GMV).
Inclusive Government Procurement
GeM has become an important engine of inclusive growth, aligned with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.”
The platform enables startups, small businesses and women-led enterprises to showcase their products and services directly to government buyers without unnecessary barriers or intermediaries.
By lowering entry barriers and democratising access to government procurement, GeM has empowered small businesses across India to become active participants in nation-building and enter a market that was once dominated largely by established companies.
More than 12 lakh MSEs have fulfilled government orders worth over ₹9 lakh crore through GeM.
More than 2.20 lakh women entrepreneurs have secured orders worth over ₹99,713 crore, while more than 42,000 startups have fulfilled government orders worth over ₹65,600 crore.
The platform has also enabled more than 69,000 SC/ST entrepreneurs to participate in government procurement, with these enterprises fulfilling orders worth over ₹23,145 crore.
A Catalyst for Growth
These achievements reaffirm that GeM is much more than a digital procurement platform. It has become a catalyst for inclusive growth, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, ensuring that eligible businesses have an opportunity to contribute to India’s development.
In many ways, GeM’s journey reflects the aspirations of Viksit Bharat 2047 — a vision of an India that is transparent, inclusive, innovative and digitally sovereign.
As GeM enters its second decade, our vision is to develop it into a smart, green and world-class procurement platform that leverages emerging technologies while expanding stakeholder participation.
Particular emphasis will remain on innovators, startups, small businesses, women, youth, entrepreneurs from smaller cities and enterprises from disadvantaged communities.
Technology, Data and AI Transforming Procurement
As one of India’s most successful digital public procurement ecosystems, GeM demonstrates how technology, data analytics, artificial intelligence and user-centric design can improve speed, efficiency and value for money in public expenditure.
Over the past two financial years, GeM’s annual GMV has crossed ₹5 lakh crore, taking its cumulative transaction value to approximately ₹20 lakh crore.
The platform now covers 10,644 product categories and 350 service categories, reflecting the enormous scale and diversity of India’s public procurement requirements.
Whether it involves life-saving medicines and vaccines reaching hospitals, defence equipment and drones being delivered efficiently, high-quality equipment transforming classrooms, or reliable infrastructure empowering villages, transparent and efficient procurement contributes to better public services and optimal utilisation of resources.
₹86,571.69 Crore Economic Benefit Identified by IIT Delhi Study
The ultimate beneficiaries of this transformation are India’s citizens.
A study conducted by IIT Delhi during July-August 2026 found that procurement through GeM generated an estimated ₹86,571.69 crore in economic benefits over the three financial years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26.
The estimated benefits included savings arising from price efficiency and improvements in procurement processes.
The study also compared prices of 101 products available on GeM with similar products listed on platforms such as Flipkart, Amazon and IndiaMART.
The analysis found that GeM prices were lower for 74.3% of the products examined, resulting in an estimated overall saving of approximately 13.6%.
GeM as an Engine of India’s Growth
The Government e-Marketplace is increasingly serving as an important engine for India’s economic growth and the country’s broader development objectives.
It empowers disadvantaged sections of society, promotes entrepreneurship and strengthens opportunities for small businesses, while helping ensure that taxpayers’ money is used efficiently to purchase quality products and services at competitive prices.
GeM’s first decade demonstrates how a transparent, technology-driven procurement system can combine economic efficiency with inclusion.
As India moves towards Viksit Bharat 2047, GeM has the potential to play an even greater role in creating a procurement ecosystem that is transparent, competitive, inclusive, technology-enabled and globally benchmarked.
