New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Delivering on PM Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) evolved into a cornerstone of transparency, inclusivity and efficiency, said Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday, hailing the successful 9 years of the digital governance initiative.

“Congratulations to @GeM_India on completing 9 years as one of India’s most impactful digital governance initiatives,” Goyal wrote on his official ‘X’ account.

The minister said that the platform has already crossed Rs 1.52 lakh crore in transaction value for FY 2025-26 so far, and a cumulative procurement of over Rs 14.91 lakh crore across 3 crore orders has been enabled.

The Government e-Marketplace initiative actively facilitates marginalised seller groups and specially abled people.

“It has also actively facilitated participation of marginalised and underrepresented seller groups, such as MSEs, women entrepreneurs, self-help groups (SHGs), tribal artisans, startups, weavers, and divyangjan,” the minister stated.

To decentralise digital procurement from the very top to lower levels, GeM was also integrated with the e-Gram Swaraj portal to enable procurement by panchayats, the minister said.

According to Goyal, the growth trajectory of the scheme reflects not just growth in numbers but a deepening of impact that is empowering local communities, enabling cost-effective procurement, and supporting Atmanirbhar Bharat.

GeM recorded transactions worth Rs 5.4 lakh crore in gross merchandise Value (GMV) in FY 2024–25, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Over the past nine years, GeM has recorded notable achievements, onboarding 1.5 lakh women-led enterprises along with startups, self-help groups (SHGs), artisans and micro and small enterprises (MSEs).

“Our focus remains on ensuring every enterprise, from tribal artisans to tech-driven startups, can easily access public procurement opportunities,” according to Mihir Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, GeM.

The platform has expanded into new service verticals like insurance, manpower, and Mine Development and Operations (MDOs), implemented technology-driven procurement processes for quicker and more economical transactions, and provided training and onboarding support to state governments, public sector projects, and local bodies.

The platform, which was started in 2016 to promote open, inclusive, and effective public procurement, has developed into a digital procurement system that links vendors and service providers nationwide, including Divyangjans, SHGs, women entrepreneurs, startups,(MSEs), and artisans.

–IANS

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