GeM and CSC Join Hands to Boost Rural Access to Government Procurement

The Government e-Marketplace (GeM), India’s national public procurement portal under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Common Service Centre e-Governance Services India Limited (CSC-SPV) to expand access to government procurement opportunities, particularly in rural and underserved areas across the country.

The agreement, signed on 18 June 2026 in New Delhi, strengthens the partnership between GeM and CSC that began in 2022. While the earlier collaboration focused mainly on seller registration and profile creation, the new arrangement provides end-to-end support for sellers, from onboarding to catalogue listing.

Under the enhanced partnership, CSC will assist sellers with vendor assessment, brand approval, and the creation and publication of product and service catalogues. The initiative aims to simplify the onboarding process, increase active seller participation, and improve access to government procurement opportunities for businesses in rural and semi-urban regions.

As part of the initiative, 50 GeM Suvidha Kendras (GSKs) will be launched on a pilot basis through the CSC network in selected states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and the Delhi-NCR region. These centres will provide guidance, training, onboarding assistance, and support related to GeM services.

The GeM Suvidha Kendras will particularly benefit micro and small enterprises, women entrepreneurs, SC/ST entrepreneurs, startups, artisans, weavers, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and local manufacturers by offering hands-on support and capacity-building services.

The pilot programme will be reviewed for expansion to additional states and Union Territories based on its performance and stakeholder feedback. The earlier GeM–CSC partnership helped approximately 5.3 lakh sellers complete registration and profile creation through the CSC network, laying a strong foundation for this expanded collaboration.

The MoU was signed by Ajit B. Chavan, Additional CEO of GeM, and Subodh Mishra, Senior Vice President of CSC-SPV.