GeM crosses ₹18.4 lakh crore in cumulative procurement, opens doors to global sellers

Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has crossed a cumulative Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of ₹18.4 lakh crore since its inception in 2016, cementing its position as the backbone of India’s public digital procurement system. The platform recorded ₹5.03 lakh crore in GMV during FY2025–26, though this marked a 7.4% decline from ₹5.43 lakh crore in the previous year, attributed largely to a drop in coal ministry procurement following reduced demand for mine development services.

In a significant move to globalise the platform, GeM has launched a global tender enquiry feature enabling overseas suppliers to register and participate in government bids. The development is tied directly to India’s free trade agreement push — notably the India-UK FTA — which requires reciprocal access to public procurement markets. The platform now supports multi-currency bidding, with CEO Mihir Kumar noting that the feature was built after studying international tender regulations to allow seamless overseas seller participation.

On the domestic inclusion front, GeM’s numbers tell a strong story. Over 11 lakh Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) are registered on the platform and executed 68% of total orders in FY26, accounting for ₹2.36 lakh crore in GMV — a 20% year-on-year rise. Women-led enterprises secured orders worth over ₹28,000 crore (up 28%), SC/ST enterprises received ₹6,000 crore (up 28%), and startups crossed ₹19,000 crore in orders, growing over 36%.

State government procurement rose 38.3% during the year, reflecting deepening adoption beyond central ministries. Technology remains central to GeM’s integrity — AI and machine learning tools now flag abnormal pricing, suspected collusive bidding, and transaction anomalies in real time.

Despite the FY26 dip, GeM’s expanding global reach and inclusion metrics signal a platform maturing beyond scale toward systemic reform of public spending.
MB Bureau