GeM portal marks 10 years: PM Modi hails transparency, MSME gains
Synopsis
Ten years after its launch, GeM is getting a prime ministerial endorsement — and it's more than routine. Modi's X post, amplifying Goyal's article, signals a deliberate effort to frame GeM as a flagship governance success, with MSMEs and women entrepreneurs as the headline beneficiaries. The real question is whether transaction data backs the narrative.
Key Takeaways
PM Modi praised the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in an X post on 11 August , marking 10 years since its launch on 9 August 2016 .
Modi highlighted transparent procurement , wider business participation, and improved Ease of Doing Business as the platform's core achievements.
GeM has been credited with expanding procurement access for MSMEs and women entrepreneurs .
The remarks came while sharing an article by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on GeM's decade-long progress.
The platform digitises purchasing by government departments and public sector institutions through a transparent online marketplace.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, 11 August credited the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) with fundamentally reshaping public procurement in India, citing transparent processes, broader business participation, and expanded opportunities — particularly for MSMEs and women entrepreneurs — in the decade since its launch.
What PM Modi Said
Modi shared his remarks in a post on social media platform X, while amplifying an article by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal reviewing GeM's progress since its inception on 9 August 2016.
'Transparent procurement, wider participation and better opportunities... This is how @GeM_India is transforming public procurement,' Modi wrote.
He further noted: 'With technology at its core, the GeM platform has strengthened 'Ease of Doing Business' over the last 10 years by creating a more competitive and inclusive ecosystem, particularly empowering MSMEs and women entrepreneurs.'
A Decade of Digital Procurement
Launched in 2016 to digitise purchasing by government departments and public sector institutions, GeM functions as an online marketplace enabling buyers and sellers to transact with greater efficiency and auditability. Over ten years, it has been positioned as a central plank of India's procurement modernisation drive.
The platform has drawn attention for reducing bottlenecks that historically disadvantaged smaller vendors in government tendering — a process that critics once described as opaque and difficult to navigate without established connections.
MSME and Women Entrepreneur Access
A key emphasis in Modi's remarks was GeM's role in levelling the playing field for micro, small and medium enterprises as well as women-led businesses. By providing direct access to government buyers through a standardised digital interface, the platform has reportedly opened procurement pipelines that were previously difficult for smaller sellers to enter.
This comes amid broader policy efforts by the Centre to increase the share of public procurement directed toward MSMEs, a sector that accounts for a significant portion of India's employment and export base.
What Comes Next
Minister Goyal's article, which Modi encouraged citizens to read for a fuller picture of the platform's milestones, is expected to detail transaction volumes, seller registrations, and category expansion over the past decade. Industry observers will watch whether the government outlines fresh targets for GeM's next phase of growth, including deeper integration with state-level procurement systems.
Point of View
But the platform's true scorecard lies in numbers the post did not cite — total transaction value, percentage of orders fulfilled by first-time MSME sellers, and dispute resolution rates. GeM has undeniably democratised access to government buyers on paper; whether that access has translated into sustained revenue for small vendors is a different question. The Centre's framing of GeM as an 'inclusive ecosystem' will face scrutiny if independent audits show that large, repeat sellers still capture a disproportionate share of order value. The next decade's test is depth, not just breadth.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Government e-Marketplace (GeM)?
GeM is an online procurement portal launched by the Indian government on 9 August 2016 to digitise purchasing by government departments and public sector institutions. It enables buyers and sellers to transact in a transparent and standardised manner, reducing traditional bottlenecks in public tendering.
Why did PM Modi post about GeM on 11 August?
PM Modi shared remarks on X to mark GeM's ten-year milestone and to amplify an article by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal reviewing the platform's progress. He highlighted transparency, MSME empowerment, and Ease of Doing Business as its defining achievements.
How has GeM helped MSMEs and women entrepreneurs?
GeM provides micro, small and medium enterprises and women-led businesses with direct, standardised access to government buyers, bypassing the complex tendering processes that historically favoured larger, well-connected vendors. According to PM Modi, this has created a more competitive and inclusive procurement ecosystem.
What did Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal write about GeM?
Minister Piyush Goyal authored an article reviewing GeM's achievements over the past decade, which PM Modi shared on X and encouraged citizens to read for a fuller understanding of the platform's role in modernising public procurement in India. Specific figures from the article were not detailed in the post.
What is the significance of GeM completing 10 years?
The ten-year milestone marks a full decade of digital public procurement in India. It provides an opportunity to assess whether GeM has delivered on its founding goals of transparency, efficiency, and inclusive participation — and to set targets for deeper integration with state-level procurement systems going forward.
