GeM's Ambitious Expansion: Empowering Startups and Women Entrepreneurs

The Government e-marketplace (GeM) aims to onboard 100,000 government-registered startups and double the number of women entrepreneurs on its platform. The initiative aims to enhance procurement opportunities, directly connect women with buyers, and foster inclusive growth.

The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is setting an ambitious target by aiming to onboard 100,000 government-registered startups onto its public procurement platform. This initiative promises to offer a vast buyer base for these entities, significantly bolstering their business opportunities, according to a statement issued by the commerce ministry on Tuesday.

In its drive to bolster female entrepreneurship, GeM is also focusing on doubling the number of women entrepreneurs on the portal. Currently, the share of these women in the overall procurement of the country stands at 3.78 percent, and initiatives are underway to increase this percentage, aiming for substantial growth.

The ministry underscored that GeM's plans will provide women entrepreneurs with direct access to government buyers, eliminating the middlemen. This strategic move is expected to lead to better product pricing, spur job creation on a hyper-local level, and ignite an era of inclusive growth across the procurement ecosystem.

(With inputs from agencies.)