The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has emerged as a powerful enabler for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), women entrepreneurs, SC/ST-owned businesses and startups, transforming how smaller firms participate in government procurement and compete for large public contracts.
From a women-led clean energy company in Vadodara delivering renewable solutions to government departments, to a small enterprise in Nagpur executing surveillance infrastructure projects for the Central Government, GeM is demonstrating that enterprise size is no longer a barrier to accessing national opportunities.
As of 30 November 2025, the platform has onboarded over 11.25 lakh registered MSE sellers. Together, these enterprises have secured cumulative government orders worth ₹7.44 lakh crore, accounting for 44.8 per cent of the total order value transacted on GeM—well above the mandated annual procurement target of 25 per cent. The figures underscore the expanding footprint of smaller firms in India’s public procurement ecosystem.
Women entrepreneurs, in particular, are making their presence felt. More than 2 lakh women-owned MSEs are currently active on GeM and have collectively won orders valued at ₹78,066 crore. Their growing participation is being supported through initiatives such as Womaniya, which focus on onboarding, capacity building and improving access to procurement opportunities for women-led enterprises.
GeM’s design aligns closely with national procurement policies to ensure inclusivity without compromising transparency. Buyers can easily identify products and services offered by MSEs—including women-led and SC/ST-owned enterprises—through dedicated filters on the platform. Eligible sellers also receive purchase preference, along with relaxations in Earnest Money Deposit requirements and prior turnover and experience criteria, enabling wider participation while maintaining accountability in public purchases.
Recent transactions highlight the scale of opportunity unlocked. In November 2025, FS Green Energies Private Limited, Vadodara, a women-led MSE from Gujarat, supplied renewable energy solutions worth over ₹53 crore to the Department of Heavy Industries. During the same period, Infrastructure Development and Management Services, Nagpur, Maharashtra, an MSE owned by an SC/ST entrepreneur, executed surveillance infrastructure projects valued at ₹29 crore for the Central Government. A Mumbai-based startup, Cloudstrats Technologies Private Limited, Maharashtra, delivered technology services amounting to ₹191 crore, securing high-value contracts within a short period of scaling its operations.
Beyond enabling transactions, GeM continues to strengthen transparency, speed and traceability in public procurement, while widening participation from enterprises across regions and communities. By embedding digital processes within procurement policy frameworks, the platform advances the goals of Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, helping local enterprises engage with government buyers at scale.
As procurement systems evolve, the rising share of MSEs and women-led businesses on GeM reflects a model where access, inclusion and regional participation are central to government purchasing—reshaping public procurement into a more open and opportunity-driven ecosystem.