Context:
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has closed this financial year with ₹4 lakh crore in Gross Merchandise value (GMV), doubling its GMV from the previous fiscal year.
Key Highlights
- This Increased GMV demonstrates the portal’s digital capabilities, enhancing efficiency, transparency, and seamlessness in public procurement.
- Nearly 50% of the GMV is attributed to the procurement of Services, showing a remarkable surge of 205% compared to the previous year.
- Central entities including Ministries and CPSEs have also contributed to nearly 85% of the ₹4 lakh crore milestone.
- GeM’s extensive network of 1.5 lakh+ Government buyers and 21 lakh sellers and service providers has facilitated this growth. Integration with Panchayats and Cooperatives has ensured sustainable procurement and optimization of public spending.
- GeM has implemented initiatives like ‘Vocal for Local’, ‘One District, One Product’, and ‘Womaniya’, providing opportunities for marginalized seller segments such as artisans, MSEs, women-led enterprises, and startups. Orders amounting to nearly 50% of the GMV have been awarded to these segments.
- The platform offers over 12070+ product categories and 320+ service categories, becoming a one-stop-shop for public procurement.
- GeM started with ₹422 crore in GMV in 2016 and has rapidly grown to achieve the ₹4 lakh crore landmark.
Gross Merchandise Value
GVM is a metric commonly used in the e-commerce industry to measure the total value of goods sold through a platform over a specific period.
Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
- Launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI), under the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961. GeM is a game-changer in India’s public procurement landscape.
- It’s an online platform to facilitate the procurement of goods and services by various government departments, organizations, and public sector undertakings.
- It encourages start-ups, small, and micro enterprises to register themselves as sellers.
- It is developed by the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) with technical Support from the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Key Features and Benefits
- Enhance Transparency, Inclusivity and Efficiency
- Convenience for Businesses
- Wider Selection and Competition
- Simplified Procedures
- Reduced Costs
- Improved Monitoring and Tracking
Other GeM Initiatives
- Initiatives like “Vocal for Local” and “Womaniya” support local businesses and women entrepreneurs.
- “One District, One Product” connects artisans and MSMEs with government buyers. These efforts have yielded results – nearly 50% of GeM’s GMV is awarded to these segments.
- The GeM SAHAY initiative will enable all sellers to get collateral-free loans at the point of acceptance of an order at competitive interest rates.
- “The Green Gold Collection” for bamboo products.