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GeM's Womaniya Initiative Boosts Women MSEs with Rs 28,000 Crore Orders

The Government e-Marketplace's 'Womaniya' initiative has demonstrated significant growth, with contracts worth over Rs 28,000 crore awarded to women-led Micro and Small Enterprises in FY 2025-26. This marks a substantial 27.6% increase from the previous year, with women-led businesses now accounting for 5.6% of GeM's total orders, surpassing the mandated 3% procurement target. The initiative provides a dedicated digital platform for women MSEs and Self-Help Groups to sell products like handloom and home decor directly to government buyers. It supports sellers through digital onboarding, Udyam verification, and capacity-building training to integrate them into the transparent government procurement ecosystem.

Key Points: GeM Womaniya: Rs 28,000 Cr to Women MSEs, 27.6% Growth

  • Over 2.1 lakh women MSEs registered
  • Rs 28,000 crore contracts awarded
  • 27.6% annual growth in order value
  • Exceeds 3% procurement target at 5.6% share
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Womaniya' initiative of GeM, sees 27.6% growth, Rs 28,000 crore contracts awarded to women MSEs

Government's Womaniya initiative on GeM sees 27.6% growth, awarding over Rs 28,000 crore in contracts to women-led micro and small enterprises.

"create new opportunities for women-led enterprises - Press Information Bureau"

New Delhi, April 10

The Press Information Bureau on Friday said the government's 'Womaniya' initiative, launched in 2019, has grown significantly since its launch.

In FY 2025-26, over 2.1 lakh women MSEs registered on GeM, with a total order volume of 13.7 lakh. Contracts worth more than Rs 28,000 crore were awarded to women MSEs, marking a 27.6 per cent increase over the previous year. Women-led businesses accounted for 5.6 per cent of GeM's total orders, surpassing the mandated 3 per cent procurement target.

The initiative was aimed to promote women led Micro and Small Enterprises inclusion on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). It offers a dedicated digital platform for women-led Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) and Self Help Groups (SHGs) to register and sell products such as handloom, jute, coir and home decor directly to Central Ministries and Public Sector Units across India.

"The initiative uses specialised features on GeM to create new opportunities for women-led enterprises and SHGs. It enables them to access government markets, showcase their products and grow their businesses in a transparent digital ecosystem," the press release said.

Under the scheme, women-led MSEs are on boarded through a digital process using Udyam verification and required documentation. Their participation is further supported through online and offline training sessions conducted by GeM to build capacity and improve onboarding.

The "Womaniya on GeM" initiative is a step towards making government procurement more gender-inclusive. Government buyers help generate demand by placing orders for products listed under the initiative, integrating women producers into procurement systems. At the local level, district administrations and support centres conduct onboarding drives, training programmes and workshops to help sellers prepare their product catalogues, the release added.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
₹28,000 crore is a significant number, and exceeding the 3% target is commendable. However, I hope the benefits are reaching women entrepreneurs in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and rural areas equally, not just those in metros. The offline training drives are crucial for this.
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Sarah B
As someone working in development, this is a very positive step for financial inclusion and women's economic empowerment. Creating a dedicated digital marketplace reduces so many traditional barriers. Hope to see similar models adopted for other marginalized groups.
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Arjun K
Great initiative! My mother's self-help group makes beautiful handloom sarees. They've been trying to understand the GeM registration process. If the district administration is conducting workshops, that will be a huge help. Direct government orders can transform their small unit.
K
Karthik V
While the growth is impressive, 5.6% of total orders still seems low. The target should be more ambitious. Also, the article mentions "Udyam verification" – the process needs to be simplified further. For many first-time women entrepreneurs, even digital paperwork can be daunting.
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Meera T
This makes me so proud! 💪 Women are naturally great at managing businesses and households. Giving them a platform like this to scale up is brilliant. The focus on handicrafts, handloom, and home decor plays to traditional strengths while creating a modern market. More success stories, please!

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