SWAYATT Expands Access to Government Procurement for Startups, Women Entrepreneurs and SHGs through GeM

Women Entrepreneurs Register ₹83,323 Crore Orders on GeM; Startups Cross ₹54,000 Crore under SWAYATT

Government e-Marketplace (GeM) today celebrated the seven-year journey of its flagship initiative, SWAYATT – Startups, Women and Youth Advantage through e-Transactions – reaffirming its commitment to making public procurement more inclusive for startups, women entrepreneurs and youth across India.

Launched on 19 February 2019, SWAYATT was conceptualised with the vision of democratising government procurement by enabling startups, women entrepreneurs, youth, Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), Self Help Groups (SHGs) and last-mile sellers to directly participate in the public procurement ecosystem through Government e-Marketplace.

Rooted in GeM’s foundational pillar of social inclusion, SWAYATT focuses on addressing three critical challenges often faced by emerging enterprises—access to markets, access to finance and access to value addition. By leveraging the digital procurement infrastructure of GeM, the initiative enables enterprises from across the country to connect directly with government buyers, thereby reducing barriers to entry and expanding opportunities.

The commemorative programme marking the seven-year journey of SWAYATT was organised at the GeM office, bringing together policymakers, startup founders, women entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners to reflect on the initiative’s impact and future roadmap.

The programme began with a perspective on SWAYATT by Additional CEO, GeM, Shri Ajit B. Chavan. The event also featured special addresses by distinguished guests including Co-Founder and Director, NEDAR Foundation, Shri K. V. Rajendran; Director, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Md. Salik Parwaiz; and Deputy Director, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Shri Md. Alam Ansari.

Entrepreneurs from across sectors also shared their experiences of participating in public procurement through GeM. Founder, Club First Robotics, Smt. Neelima Mishra, and Founder, Surprise Someone, Ms. Pinky Maheshwari highlighted how GeM has enabled their enterprises to access government markets and scale their businesses.

A short film capturing the seven-year journey of SWAYATT was also screened, showcasing how the initiative has expanded opportunities for startups, women entrepreneurs and youth across the country.

Delivering the keynote address, CEO, GeM, Shri Mihir Kumar said that SWAYATT embodies GeM’s vision of making public procurement more inclusive by enabling startups, women entrepreneurs and youth to access government markets directly. He noted that by leveraging digital technology and partnerships across the ecosystem, GeM is helping transform emerging enterprises into active participants in the country’s economic growth.

Since its inception, SWAYATT has become a key pillar of GeM’s inclusive public procurement ecosystem, enabling startups, women entrepreneurs and MSEs to access government markets with greater visibility and opportunity. Dedicated storefronts such as Startup Runway and Womaniya further strengthen this ecosystem by enhancing discoverability among lakhs of government buyers across the country.

The initiative’s impact is reflected in the significant growth in participation and transaction value across these seller segments on GeM.

Women entrepreneurs have recorded strong growth on GeM, with cumulative order values rising from ₹1,265.62 crore in FY 2018–19 to ₹83,323 crore by FY 2025–26. During the same period, order volumes increased from 1,01,530 to 44,48,894, reflecting the expanding participation of women-led enterprises in public procurement over the seven-year journey of SWAYATT.

Participation of startups has also witnessed strong momentum on the GeM platform, with cumulative order values increasing from ₹497.24 crore in FY 2018–19 to ₹54,005.8 crore by FY 2025–26. During the same period, order volumes expanded from 17,434 to 5,30,578, highlighting the growing role of startups in public procurement through the SWAYATT initiative.

These outcomes highlight how SWAYATT has enabled emerging enterprises to scale their participation in government procurement through digital access, transparent processes and direct market linkages. Through sustained capacity building and outreach, GeM continues to expand opportunities at the grassroots level.

Over the past seven years, SWAYATT has demonstrated how technology-driven procurement can expand equitable access, truly making the invisible invincible in public procurement.

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Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan/ Ishita Biswas