Parul
The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) recently celebrated six years of its SWAYATT initiative—Startups, Women & Youth Advantage through e-Transactions—highlighting its impact on women entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses in public procurement.
Launched on February 19, 2019, SWAYATT aims to enhance market access for women-led enterprises, startups, Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs), and Self-Help Groups (SHGs), particularly from underprivileged backgrounds. Over the years, it has played a crucial role in simplifying business processes, offering direct market linkages, and fostering inclusive growth.
As part of the celebration, GeM signed an MoU with FICCI Ladies Organisation (FICCI-FLO), a national body representing 9,500+ women entrepreneurs. This collaboration will help women entrepreneurs connect directly with government buyers, eliminating intermediaries, improving price realisation, and boosting local job creation.
“At the time of launch of SWAYATT, only about 6300 women-led enterprises and almost 3400 startups were onboarded on GeM. Since then, the platform has grown manifold,” informed L Satya Srivinas, CEO, GeM.
“Addressing the challenges of “access to market”, “access to finance” and “access to value-addition” through proper e-market linkages in public procurement, GeM has enabled startups to fulfil orders worth ₹ 35,950 Crore. Women entrepreneurs comprise 8 per cent of the total seller base on GeM, with cumulative 1,77,786 Udyam-verified women micro, and small enterprises (MSE) registered on the GeM portal, having fulfilled a cumulative order value of ₹46,615 Crore,” added Srinivas.
Under the SWAYATT umbrella, GeM has launched dedicated storefronts like “Startup Runway” and “Womaniya”, ensuring greater visibility for startups and women entrepreneurs among government buyers.
GeM is now working towards onboarding 1 lakh startups registered under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), aiming to double the number of women entrepreneurs on the platform and increase their share in national procurement beyond the current 3.78 per cent.
Joyashree Das Verma, President, FICCI – FLO, highlighted how digital platforms like GeM have democratised access to opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Reiterating the importance of this collaboration towards value chain development and enhanced opportunities to women-led MSEs through advocacy, outreach and mobilisation, she stressed upon training as an imperative in expanding the reach of GeM portal among affiliated members of the association.
