GeM completes 10 Years, Crosses Rs 20 Lakh crore in cumulative GMV
New Delhi, August 7
The Government e-Marketplace, India's national public procurement platform, completed ten years on Friday. Launched on August 9, 2016 under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to bring technology, transparency and efficiency to public procurement, GeM has facilitated a cumulative Gross Merchandise Value of over Rs 20 lakh crore through more than 3.78 crore orders as on August 7, 2026.
The platform's annual GMV has surged from just Rs 422 crore in FY 2016-17 to over Rs 5 lakh crore in each of FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26. In the first four months of FY 2026-27 alone, GeM recorded a GMV of Rs 1,47,888 crore. Strikingly, while the first Rs 10 lakh crore in cumulative GMV took over eight years to achieve, the next Rs 10 lakh crore came in less than two years a sign of accelerating adoption and trust in the platform.
"GeM has moved public procurement from opaque, fragmented processes to a single, transparent marketplace where capability determines success. The next decade will be defined by deeper use of AI for better value for the public and equal opportunity for every enterprise," said Mihir Kumar, CEO, GeM.
Over ten years, profile-completed sellers have grown from 3,339 to 25.45 lakh, and primary buyer organisations from 1,707 to 1.37 lakh. Registered Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) have risen from 2,424 to 12.25 lakh.
Inclusivity and value delivered MSEs have fulfilled orders worth more than Rs 9.07 lakh crore 45.6% of cumulative GMV. Over 2.24 lakh women-led MSEs have completed more than 50 lakh orders worth over Rs 99,147 crore, while 42,242 start-ups have secured orders worth more than Rs 65,633 crore.
An IIT Delhi study covering FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26 estimated a monetised benefit of Rs 86,571.69 crore from price and process efficiencies. The benefit breaks down as Rs 85,940 crore from the estimated-versus-contracted price gap, Rs 590.74 crore in notional publicity value, and Rs 40.95 crore from payment-cycle financing gains.
On a comparison of 101 items against other e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart and IndiaMART, GeM items were cheaper 74.3% of the time, delivering a spend-weighted saving of 13.6%. This builds on earlier assessments, including the Economic Survey 2021-22, which recorded similarly consistent savings.
Data shows 58.83% of MSEs or over 1.52 lakh enterprises currently supply within a single state, while 25.94% operate across 2-5 states, pointing to a mix of hyperlocal and multi-state participation on the platform.
Transaction charges have been cut from 0.50% to 0.30%; orders up to rs 10 lakh are now free, and 97% of all orders attract no transaction fee at all, with a maximum fee cap of Rs 3 lakh. Vendor assessment fees have been reduced by up to 92%.
An interim Axis My India survey of 240 buyers found 92% overall satisfaction, 82% rating the platform on transparency, 76% on inclusivity, and 71% on efficiency. On the seller side, 67% reported higher business volumes and 78% intend to continue on the platform.
GeM now digitises the full procurement lifecycle and deploys AI/ML tools to flag suspected cartelisation, collusion and order-splitting. As the platform enters its second decade, officials say the focus will shift to deeper data-driven intelligence to strengthen fair competition and deliver better value for public money, in line with India's Viksit Bharat goals.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The growth numbers are staggering - from Rs 422 crore to over Rs 5 lakh crore annually! But I'd like to see more scrutiny on the 74.3% price advantage claim. Is it comparing apples to apples? Quality standards on government items need regular auditing too. Still, if this platform helps women-led MSEs (Rs 99,147 crore!) and startups, it's a win for the economy. More power to GeM, but let's keep the watchdogs active!
Impressive scale and efficiency gains. The Rs 86,571 crore in monetized benefits from price and process efficiencies is substantial. A decade of digitization has clearly paid off. The rapid acceleration from Rs 10 lakh crore to Rs 20 lakh crore in under two years shows how digital infrastructure compounds value.
45.6% of cumulative GMV going to MSEs is the game-changer for Atmanirbhar Bharat. My brother's small manufacturing unit in Ludhiana never used to get government contracts - the middlemen would eat the margins. Since GeM, he's supplied LED street lights worth Rs 2 crore to municipal bodies! Aur haan, the AI tools to catch cartelization - that's the future. Viksit Bharat 2047 needs more such platforms.
Good to see India's digital public infrastructure expanding into procurement. The transaction fee cut to 0.30% and free orders up to Rs 10 lakh will definitely help smaller sellers. But 240 buyers in the survey seems a small sample size to claim 92% satisfaction. Would love to see a larger independent audit of the platform.
P