GeM Marks Seven Years of Womaniya Initiative, Empowering Women-Led Enterprises in Public Procurement

The event brought together policymakers, representatives from multilateral organisations and ecosystem partners to reflect on the initiative’s progress and future direction.

The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) on Tuesday marked seven years of the Womaniya initiative, its flagship programme designed to strengthen the participation of women-led Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in government procurement. The commemorative event was held at the Jeevan Bharti Building in New Delhi.

Since its launch, Womaniya has emerged as a transformative platform for women entrepreneurs. As of 14 January 2026, more than two lakh women-led MSEs are registered on the GeM portal. Collectively, these enterprises have secured public procurement orders worth over ₹80,000 crore, accounting for 4.7 per cent of GeM’s total order value. This significantly exceeds the government-mandated three per cent procurement target for women-owned and women-led enterprises.

From Access to Ecosystem

Launched on 14 January 2019, the Womaniya initiative was conceived to address the structural barriers faced by women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in accessing government markets. By offering a direct, transparent and fully digital interface with government buyers, the platform eliminated intermediaries and reduced procedural hurdles that had historically constrained women’s participation in public procurement.

Over the past seven years, Womaniya has evolved from an access-enabling mechanism into a national ecosystem of opportunity, supporting women-led enterprises across sectors to scale operations, enhance credibility and integrate into formal supply chains.

Policy and Institutional Support

The event brought together policymakers, representatives from multilateral organisations and ecosystem partners to reflect on the initiative’s progress and future direction. Addresses were delivered by Joint Secretary (SME), Ministry of MSME, Smt. Mercy Epao; Chief of Staff, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, Smt. Radhika Kaul Batra; and Country Programme Manager, UN Women India, Smt. Suhela Khan.

The speakers highlighted the importance of institutional market access, capability building and sustained policy support in advancing women’s economic participation. They also underscored the need to promote gender-responsive public procurement as a tool for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Strengthening Digital Procurement for Women Entrepreneurs

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer, GeM, Shri Mihir Kumar, said that Womaniya has grown into a structured and scalable ecosystem that enables women-led enterprises to expand through resilience and credibility.

He noted that policy-enabled digital procurement through the GeM platform has played a critical role in nurturing women entrepreneurship and advancing gender inclusion in public procurement. He emphasised the importance of:

• Effective price discovery and product comparison for government buyers

• Greater awareness among women entrepreneurs of procurement patterns on the portal

• Familiarity with Government Financial Rules (GFR)

• Strong convergence among stakeholders to support women entrepreneurs at every stage

New Partnership to Expand Outreach

A key highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between GeM and the Women’s Collective Forum (WCF). The MoU was signed by Additional CEO, GeM, Shri Ajit B. Chavan, and Chief Community Officer, WCF, Ms. Richa Sharma.

The partnership aims to strengthen institutional support for women entrepreneurs by:

• Building awareness of business-to-government opportunities

• Supporting onboarding, documentation and compliance

• Assisting with product listing and visibility on the GeM portal

• Delivering structured training programmes, workshops and field-level coordination

Voices from the Ground

The programme also featured testimonials from women entrepreneurs, along with interactive sessions and roundtable discussions. These exchanges highlighted how access to public procurement through GeM has translated into enterprise growth, job creation and local economic impact across regions.

Aligned with national priorities such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and Vocal for Local, the Womaniya initiative reflects the Government’s commitment to gender-inclusive economic growth. It demonstrates how the strategic alignment of policy, digital platforms and partnerships can convert participation into prosperity for women entrepreneurs across India.