Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal called for a new, user-friendly and AI-enabled platform to make public procurement more efficient, cost-effective, transparent and competitive. Addressing the 10th Foundation Day celebration of Government e Marketplace (GeM) at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Shri Goyal said the new platform would help buyers and sellers make more intelligent use of the procurement process and the latest technologies.
Outlining five priorities for the decade ahead, Shri Goyal emphasised strengthening last-mile access through GeM’s Suvidha Kendras by expanding registration, cataloguing, training and grievance redressal across districts; deeper use of Artificial Intelligence for price intelligence, price sanity and marketplace integrity; integration of States, public enterprises, panchayats and cooperatives into a seamless national procurement ecosystem; greater focus on credit and sustainability through scaling GeM Sahay and TReDS linkages and mainstreaming sustainable procurement; and university outreach to bring young innovators and new buyers onto the platform.
The occasion was also graced by Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Shri S. Krishnan, and Secretary, Department of Commerce, Shri Rajesh Agrawal, along with senior government officials, buyers, sellers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.
The celebrations brought together government buyers, sellers, entrepreneurs, policymakers and other stakeholders who have been part of GeM’s journey since its inception in 2016. The occasion reflected on the platform’s growth as well as the contribution of enterprises and individuals whose participation has given scale and meaning to this transformation.
Launched on 9 August 2016 under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, inspired by the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for technology-enabled, transparent and efficient governance, GeM has evolved from a digital marketplace into a unified public procurement platform connecting government buyers and enterprises across the country.
GeM has a community of more than 25 lakh sellers and over 1.37 lakh buyer organisations. The platform has facilitated cumulative procurement of over ₹20 lakh crore through more than 3.78 crore orders. It now has 12.28 lakh Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), which have fulfilled orders worth more than ₹9 lakh crore, accounting for 45.6 per cent of cumulative GMV. More than 2.24 lakh women-led MSEs have fulfilled over 50 lakh orders valued at more than ₹1 lakh crore, while 42,242 startups have secured orders worth more than ₹65,633 crore.
Technology has remained central to GeM’s evolution. Digital processes have strengthened transparency and traceability, while integration with government digital systems has made procurement and related transactions more seamless.
Welcoming the gathering, Chief Executive Officer, GeM, Shri Mihir Kumar, said, “We are proud of how far we have come. Yet what truly defines GeM is not only the scale we have achieved, but the spirit with which we continue to improve—listening, refining and remaining responsive to the needs of those who use the platform.”
The Foundation Day programme showcased GeM’s evolution through the screening of the GeM 10-year journey film, capturing its transformation and growing impact across the country.
A customised My Stamp was also launched to commemorate the milestone. The stamp recognises GeM’s contribution to digital governance, Ease of Doing Business, promotion of Indian enterprises and inclusive economic growth, while symbolising its commitment to building a transparent, efficient and future-ready public procurement ecosystem aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat.
GeM also launched a dedicated nationwide five-digit short code “14550” for its Helpdesk. The new number provides a simple and recognisable communication identity for GeM and is virtually mapped to the existing Helpdesk infrastructure to ensure continuity of services. It will make it easier for buyers, sellers and other stakeholders to access support and identify official GeM communications.
The Foundation Day celebrations also recognised and felicitated exemplary buyers from Central Ministries and Departments, State Government Departments and sellers for their contribution to strengthening and advancing India’s public procurement ecosystem.
As GeM enters its second decade, the focus is shifting from expanding the platform to multiplying its impact. The next phase will focus on deeper technology adoption, wider participation, greater Ease of Doing Business, stronger procurement intelligence, faster processes and continued efforts to deliver greater value for public money.
For Indian enterprises, the objective is to make government procurement an even more accessible and predictable market, while for buyers, the focus is to provide a smarter, more efficient and increasingly data-driven procurement experience.
As India advances towards the vision of Viksit Bharat, GeM aspires to further transform public procurement in India and position the country’s digital public procurement model as a trusted global benchmark.
