Over 2 Lakh Women-led Mses Onboarded On Gem’s Womaniya Platform As Public Procurement Footprint Expands

The Government e-Marketplace’s Womaniya initiative has crossed a major milestone, with more than 2.1 lakh women-led micro and small enterprises registered on the platform in FY 2025–26. According to the latest official update, these enterprises together secured an order volume of 13.7 lakh during the financial year, underlining the growing role of women entrepreneurs in government procurement.

The latest figures also show that women-led MSEs received contracts worth more than ₹28,000 crore in FY 2025–26, marking 27.6% growth over the previous year. Their share reached 5.6% of GeM’s total order value, comfortably above the mandated 3% public procurement target for women-owned and women-led enterprises.

Womaniya was launched on 14 January 2019 to improve women entrepreneurs’ access to government markets through a direct digital interface on GeM. The initiative allows women-led MSEs and self-help groups to list products for government buyers, especially in categories such as handicrafts, handloom, jute, coir, home décor, and office furnishings, helping reduce entry barriers and bypass intermediaries.

The programme’s broader trajectory shows how quickly it has scaled. As of 14 January 2026, more than 2 lakh women-led MSEs on GeM had already secured public procurement orders exceeding ₹80,000 crore, accounting for 4.7% of GeM’s total order value. That longer-term performance suggests Womaniya has moved far beyond symbolic inclusion and is now becoming a serious national procurement channel for women-led businesses.

Its expansion has also been backed by partnerships aimed at training, onboarding, compliance support, and market access. Official records show collaborations with SEWA Bharat, Usha Silai School, UN Women, and most recently the Women’s Collective Forum, reflecting an effort to combine digital access with handholding on the ground.

Taken together, the latest Womaniya numbers point to a deeper shift in public procurement: women-led enterprises are no longer operating at the margins of the state marketplace. They are increasingly becoming visible suppliers in India’s digital procurement ecosystem, with growing scale, higher order values, and a rising share of government business.

Sources:
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2250664&reg=3&lang=1
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2215001&reg=3&lang=1
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2235818&reg=3&lang=1
https://www.newsonair.gov.in/over-two-lakh-women-led-mse-entrepreneurs-registered-on-gem-womaniya-initiative/