GeM Powers Inclusive Growth in Public Procurement

GeM launches India’s first GenAI chatbot in the public sector

Over 10 Lakh MSEs Onboarded Through the Platform

1.3 Lakh Artisans and Weavers Empowered via GeM

1.84 Lakh Women Entrepreneurs Integrated into Procurement Ecosystem

Government e Marketplace (GeM), India’s national public procurement portal, marked its 8th Incorporation Day with a reaffirmation of its transformative impact on inclusive economic growth and digital governance.

Addressing the media on the occasion, CEO, GeM, Shri Mihir Kumar, said, “At GeM, we are innovating to simplify and empowering to transform—because when innovation meets inclusion, it unlocks opportunities for every Indian entrepreneur. From MSEs and start-ups to weavers and women-led enterprises, our journey goes beyond procurement—it’s about building a more accessible, efficient and equitable marketplace for all.”

GeM’s user base has seen a threefold increase in recent years, with over 1.64 lakh primary buyers and 4.2 lakh active sellers now onboard. The platform offers more than 10,000 product categories and over 330 services. Independent assessments, including from the World Bank and Economic Survey, validate GeM’s impact, noting an average cost saving of nearly 10% in government procurement.

Highlighting its commitment to empowering small sellers and traditionally underrepresented groups, Shri Kumar informed that over 10 lakh Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), 1.3 lakh artisans and weavers, 1.84 lakh women entrepreneurs, and 31,000 startups are now part of the GeM ecosystem. “By ensuring complete information dissemination on bids and actively integrating diverse stakeholders—MSEs, start-ups, women entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and FPOs—GeM has redefined public procurement,” he added.

Nearly 97% of all transactions on GeM are now free from transaction charges. Additionally, fees have been reduced by 33% to 96% and capped at ₹3 lakh for orders exceeding ₹10 crore, significantly down from the earlier ₹72.5 lakh. For sellers with annual turnover below ₹1 crore, the caution money deposit has been cut by 60%, with full exemptions granted to select groups.

GeM’s role in advancing national priorities was underscored by key transactions, including ₹5,000 crore worth of equipment for the Akash Missile System and ₹5,085 crore in vaccine procurement. The platform is also enabling complex services such as drone-as-a-service for AIIMS, GIS and insurance for over 1.3 crore lives, and wet leasing of chartered flights and CT scanners.

GeM has now been adopted across all 36 States and Union Territories, with Uttar Pradesh leading the way. Eight states—including Maharashtra, Manipur, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh—have mandated GeM usage. Successful IFMS integrations in Assam, Kerala, Odisha, West Bengal, and Delhi have paved the way for upcoming rollouts in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.

Reinforcing its commitment to transparency and accountability, GeM has deployed advanced analytics for real-time fraud detection, risk mitigation, and continuous monitoring. In a pioneering digital governance move, GeM launched GeMAI, India’s first generative AI-powered chatbot in the public sector. Supporting both voice and text interactions in 10 Indian languages, GeMAI enhances user support and embodies GeM’s mission of inclusive, intelligent service delivery.

Congratulating stakeholders on the platform’s journey, Shri Mihir Kumar concluded, “With the continued support of our ecosystem, I am confident that GeM will scale even greater heights and contribute meaningfully to making India truly Aatmanirbhar.”

Public procurement reform expands market access and lowers transactional barriers while institutionalising digital transparency and support. GeM has reformed public procurement operations by reducing and capping seller fees, exempting or lowering deposit requirements for lower-turnover vendors, and largely removing transaction charges, thereby expanding access for MSEs, artisans, women entrepreneurs and startups. Concurrently, GeM's nationwide adoption and state mandates combined with IFMS integrations establish interoperability and compliance across procurement systems, while deployment of analytics for fraud detection and a multilingual generative AI chatbot enhance transparency, monitoring, and user support.