India’s national public procurement platform, Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has achieved a cumulative Gross Merchandise Value of over 20 lakh crore rupees in the last ten years. GeM was launched on 9th August 2016 to transform public procurement through technology, transparency, efficiency and good governance. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, GeM CEO Mihir Kumar said that the GeMs business has grown from 422 crore rupees in 2016-17 to over 20 lakh crore rupees now. He said that over the past decade, GeM has emerged as a cornerstone of India’s digital governance ecosystem.
Mr Kumar informed that according to a study done by IIT Delhi, the items sold on GeM was cheaper on 74 per cent items in comparison with other e marketplace like Amazon, Flipkart and India Mart. He said, the sellers on GeM platform have grown from around three thousand to over 25 lakh, while the Micro and Small Enterprises registered on the platform have also risen from around two thousand to more than 12 lakh. Mr Kumar said that today all States are onboarded on GeM platform and soon it will reach out to Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayats to expand its business.
