Government e Marketplace (GeM) inked an MoU with Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS), in Bhubaneswar. The MoU was signed in the presence of Shri Pradip Kumar Amat, Hon’ble Cabinet Minister, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, Government of Odisha.

ORMAS is known for its concerted efforts in empowering Odisha's MSEs, rural entrepreneurs and rural producers by creating appropriate marketing channels for their business growth. The association also provides handholding support to all affiliated stakeholders in all their marketing and branding activities.

By the means of this MoU, all micro enterprises and rural producers affiliated with ORMAS will be onboarded on GeM. The platform will provide these regional sellers and service providers direct market linkages to conducting business with government buyers across the country.

Through this MoU, sellers like women and SC/ST MSEs, startups, weavers, artisans, FPOs, FPCs, SHGs etc., associated with ORMAS, can expand their business opportunities by showcasing their product catalogues under dedicated outlets on GeM, thus enhancing their brand visibility and establishing strong marketing networks for rural produces.

Social inclusion is a core value at GeM. Since its inception, various initiatives have been undertaken by the organisation to widen participation of pan-India sellers and service providers in public procurement activities. Through digitization of all procurement activities, GeM has facilitated the ease of doing business by removing manual interventions and barriers to entry.

About GeM:

Government e Marketplace is an online public procurement portal developed to facilitate the procurement of goods and services by various government departments, agencies, panchayats, cooperative bodies and public sector undertakings. It was launched in August 2016 as a part of the government's "Digital India" initiative to bring transparency, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness to public procurement. Driven by its three core pillars of - Efficiency, Transparency and Inclusivity, GeM aims to simplify public procurement process, reduce paperwork, and promote use of digital technology for better governance.

Public procurement inclusion: Odisha micro and rural enterprises to be onboarded on GeM, expanding digital market access. An MoU between the Government e Marketplace and the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society provides for onboarding ORMAS-affiliated micro and rural enterprises onto GeM, creating dedicated storefronts and product catalogues to connect women-led, SC/ST, startup, artisan, FPO, FPC and SHG sellers with government buyers, and includes ORMAS-led handholding and marketing support to increase supplier participation through a digitised public procurement platform.