GeM Completes 10 Years, Crosses ₹20 Lakh Crore in Public Procurement; IIT Delhi Estimates ₹1.76 Lakh Crore Social Savings

The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is set to complete a decade of operations on August 9, marking ten years of digitising and transforming public procurement in India. The platform has now facilitated a cumulative Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of more than ₹20 lakh crore through over 3.78 crore orders, highlighting its rapidly expanding role in government purchasing.

GeM was launched in 2016 to create a transparent, technology-driven marketplace connecting government buyers with suppliers across the country. Over the past decade, it has grown from a relatively small procurement platform into one of the largest digital public procurement systems in India.

Annual GMV Rises From ₹422 Crore to Over ₹5 Lakh Crore

The scale of procurement through GeM has increased sharply since its launch.

Annual GMV stood at just ₹422 crore in FY 2016-17. By FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26, the platform was recording more than ₹5 lakh crore in annual GMV.

During the first four months of FY 2026-27 alone, GeM registered procurement worth ₹1,47,888 crore.

The pace of growth has also accelerated considerably. GeM took more than eight years to cross its first ₹10 lakh crore in cumulative GMV, but added the next ₹10 lakh crore in less than two years.

The trend indicates increasing adoption of the platform by government departments, public institutions and other eligible buyers.

Seller Base Expands to 25.45 Lakh

Participation on GeM has expanded dramatically over the last decade.

The number of profile-completed sellers has increased from 3,339 to 25.45 lakh, while primary buyer organisations have grown from 1,707 to 1.37 lakh.

Micro and Small Enterprises have emerged as a particularly important part of the GeM ecosystem.

The number of registered MSEs has risen from just 2,424 to 12.25 lakh.

MSEs have so far fulfilled orders valued at more than ₹9.07 lakh crore, representing about 45.6 per cent of GeM’s total cumulative GMV.

This indicates that almost half of the value of procurement conducted through the marketplace has been supplied by smaller enterprises.

Women-Led Businesses Secure Orders Worth ₹99,147 Crore

GeM has also become a significant procurement channel for women entrepreneurs.

More than 2.24 lakh women-led MSEs have fulfilled over 50 lakh orders worth more than ₹99,147 crore through the platform.

Startups have also gained access to government procurement opportunities through GeM.

Around 42,242 startups have secured orders valued at more than ₹65,633 crore.

The expansion of these categories forms part of GeM’s wider objective of reducing barriers to government procurement and allowing businesses to compete on a common digital marketplace.

IIT Delhi Study Estimates ₹1.76 Lakh Crore Net Social Savings

One of the most significant findings highlighted by the government relates to the economic savings generated through GeM.

A study by IIT Delhi covering FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26 estimated monetised benefits of ₹86,571.69 crore arising from price and process efficiencies.

The study estimated overall net social savings of ₹1,76,411.46 crore.

It also compared prices of 101 items available on GeM with those on other e-commerce platforms.

According to the findings, GeM offered lower prices for 74.3 per cent of the items examined, while the spend-weighted saving was estimated at 13.6 per cent.

Earlier assessments, including findings cited in the Economic Survey 2021-22, had also pointed to procurement savings achieved through the platform.

Transaction Charges Cut to 0.30%

GeM has introduced several measures intended to reduce the cost of participation for sellers.

Transaction charges have been lowered from 0.50 per cent to 0.30 per cent.

Orders valued at up to ₹10 lakh have been completely exempted from transaction charges, resulting in around 97 per cent of all orders on GeM attracting no transaction fee.

The maximum transaction fee has also been capped at ₹3 lakh.

Vendor assessment fees have meanwhile been reduced by as much as 92 per cent, lowering entry and compliance costs for businesses seeking to participate in government procurement.

Survey Shows High Buyer Satisfaction

Interim findings from an Axis My India survey indicate substantial satisfaction among users of the marketplace.

Around 92 per cent of surveyed buyers said they were satisfied with their overall GeM experience.

Among sellers, 67 per cent reported an increase in business volumes, while 78 per cent said they intended to continue using the platform.

These findings suggest that GeM is increasingly being viewed not only as a government procurement mechanism but also as an important business channel for private enterprises.

AI and Machine Learning Used to Detect Procurement Irregularities

GeM now digitises the entire public procurement lifecycle and is increasingly deploying advanced analytical technologies.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools are being used to identify possible cases of cartelisation, collusion and order splitting.

Because procurement transactions are conducted digitally, the platform also generates extensive data that can be analysed by government agencies.

This allows policymakers to track procurement expenditure, identify potential inefficiencies and use transactional data to design more evidence-based procurement policies.

The digital structure also helps create an auditable trail of purchases, bids and transactions across participating organisations.

From Fragmented Procurement to a Unified Digital Marketplace

GeM Chief Executive Officer Mihir Kumar said the platform had helped move government procurement away from fragmented and opaque processes towards a unified and transparent digital marketplace.

He said the next phase of GeM’s development would involve deeper deployment of Artificial Intelligence to improve value for public expenditure while expanding opportunities for enterprises.

Over the coming decade, the government plans to further strengthen data-driven procurement systems, competition among suppliers and ease of participation for businesses.

The broader objective is to create a procurement ecosystem that is simpler, faster, more transparent and value-driven, while supporting the government’s vision of Viksit Bharat.

After ten years of operation, GeM’s cumulative procurement exceeding ₹20 lakh crore, its rapidly growing seller base and the estimated ₹1.76 lakh crore in social savings demonstrate how digital public infrastructure is reshaping the way government purchasing is conducted across India.

---

Reference

Press Information Bureau, Government of India
“GeM Completes a Decade of Transforming Public Procurement with Cumulative GMV Exceeding ₹20 Lakh Crore”
Published: August 7, 2026
Government e-Marketplace / Ministry of Commerce & Industry

---