GeM, CSC Join Hands to Expand Rural Procurement Access

Under the earlier arrangement, CSC primarily assisted businesses with seller registration and profile creation on the GeM platform.

The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has strengthened its partnership with Common Service Centre e-Governance Services India Limited (CSC-SPV) to widen access to government procurement opportunities, with a special focus on rural and underserved regions across India.

The collaboration was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in New Delhi on 18 June 2026. The agreement marks a major expansion of the partnership first established in 2022 and aims to make public procurement more accessible to small businesses, entrepreneurs and local producers.

Partnership Expands Support Beyond Registration

Under the earlier arrangement, CSC primarily assisted businesses with seller registration and profile creation on the GeM platform. The new agreement introduces a broader support framework that guides sellers through the entire onboarding process, from registration to catalogue listing.

The expanded partnership will help businesses complete vendor assessments, obtain brand approvals and create product and service catalogues for publication on the GeM portal.

These additional services are designed to simplify onboarding requirements, increase the number of active sellers and improve participation in government procurement programmes.

Officials believe the initiative will help more enterprises successfully move from registration to active business engagement on the platform.

GeM Suvidha Kendras to Offer Local Support

A key component of the agreement is the launch of 50 GeM Suvidha Kendras (GSKs) on a pilot basis through the CSC network.

The centres will be established across selected states, including Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana and West Bengal.

These facilities will act as dedicated support hubs where businesses can receive training, onboarding assistance, procurement guidance and help with platform-related processes.

The centres will also support awareness campaigns, capacity-building programmes and grievance redressal services for users of the GeM platform.

Focus on Small Businesses and Rural Entrepreneurs

The initiative is expected to benefit a wide range of enterprises, including micro and small businesses, women-led ventures, SC/ST entrepreneurs, startups, artisans, weavers, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and local manufacturers.

By offering direct assistance at the local level, the programme aims to remove barriers that often prevent smaller businesses from participating in government procurement opportunities.

The pilot project will be reviewed after implementation, with the possibility of expanding GeM Suvidha Kendras to additional states and Union Territories based on performance and stakeholder feedback.

The strengthened partnership builds on the success of the earlier GeM-CSC collaboration, which helped approximately 5.3 lakh sellers complete registration and profile creation through the CSC network.

The MoU was signed by GeM Additional Chief Executive Officer Ajit B. Chavan and CSC-SPV Senior Vice President Subodh Mishra, reinforcing the shared goal of making public procurement more inclusive, accessible and business-friendly across India.