GeM platform connects 16,000 sellers and 5,000 govt. users

The GeM (Government e-Marketplace) connects 5,000 government users with around 16,000 sellers and service providers and with more than 50,000 products.

Inaugurating GeM workshop, the Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “As we sign as many as six MoU today, I thank the respective state representatives coming forward and embracing GeM as the platform for government procurement in their states.”

“I am glad that GeM is being recognized as the national e-procurement portal. Following the processes under GeM platform, around 20-30% reduction of price has been achieved as compared to what it was prior to GeM,” added Sitaraman.

Representing Andhra Pradesh, Nakka Ananda Babu, Minister of Social Welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh said, “Government eMarketplace is a great initiative by the government of India to bring in greater transparency in the public procurement. By signing this MoU, we embark on a new and transparent era of public procurement.”

Representing Puducherry, Manoj Kumar Parida, Chief Secretary, Puducherry said, “It does not only affect the traders and suppliers, but also brings in a major change the activities the officials too. GeM is a wonderful concept wherein everything is transparent. We are clear about the goods we want; they are clear about the price at which they sell. It is a wonderful beginning which is worth welcoming.”

A two-day National Consultative Workshop was organised by Government eMarketPlace (GeM) SPV and DGS&D under Ministry of Commerce in association with National eGovernance Division under the Ministry of Electronics & IT for the buyers and sellers on GeM.

Over 300 senior level officers handling procurement activities in the state departments such as finance, treasuries, IT & e-Governance, general admin, industry & commerce, women & child development (WCD), food, board of revenue and other departments that have major procurement activities along with more than 250 major vendors attended the workshop.

Binoy Kumar Director General, DGS&D said, “When GeM was formed eleven months ago, it had only one product as a desktop computer and one service, that is a taxi service. Today, we have grown to an extent that we have more than 5,000 government departments users, around 16,000 sellers and service providers and more than 50,000 products. GeM has reached to this stage of development because there has been a transparent efficient and accountable system behind.”

Commenting on the initiative, Radha Chauhan, CEO, GeM & CEO, NeGD said, “The Government eMarketplace is a national procurement portal, which realizes the Digital India vision of contactless, cashless and paperless mode of governance. It should not only be seen as a procurement portal for the government buyers, but also as a tool for empowerment and entrepreneurship across the country at all levels, including the small and the micro units.”