Public procurement has been a challenging process for all stakeholders including sellers and buyers in the past. However, the introduction of the Government e-Marketplace or GeM portal has been a game-changer in overcoming this challenge! GeM portal is a one-stop platform that facilitates the online procurement of common use goods and services by various government departments and government-owned enterprises. It was launched in 2016 with the objective of securing customers for small and local businesses via transparent, efficient, and speedy public procurement.
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The portal provides tools for e-bidding, reverse e-auction, and demand aggregation to help both buyers and sellers get a fair deal. Its mission is to affect an evolution in public procurement by promoting an inclusive marketplace for all stakeholders. To know more about the meaning of GeM Portal, its features, benefits and the process of selling on GeM Portal, you can read this entire blog.
What is GeM Portal?
GeM portal, short for Government e-Marketplace, is a one-stop online platform for government procurement in India. Launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GeM portal aims to promote transparency, efficiency, and inclusiveness in the procurement process for government agencies and public sector undertakings. For this, it enables various businesses to sell a wide range of goods and services directly to government agencies and PSUs on its platform at prices negotiated between the buyers and the sellers quite fairly. Besides, the portal also provides a user-friendly interface for managing procurement workflows, tracking orders, and making payments.
The GeM portal has drastically reduced the time and cost for public procurement, and increased competition by enhancing access to a large number of buyers and sellers. The portal also supports the government’s initiatives of promoting MSMEs, digitalization, and e-governance. With over 4 lakh registered sellers and more than 50,000 government buyers, GeM portal has facilitated transactions worth over INR 1,50,000 crore by the end of February 2022.
This is exactly why the GeM online Marketplace is considered as a game-changer for government procurement in India. Its impact on the economy and public administration has been significant, and its continued development and adoption will further strengthen India’s position as a global leader in e-governance.
What are the Benefits of Selling on the Government E-Marketplace?
Selling on the Government E-Marketplace is beneficial for both the buyer, which in this case is the government, and the seller, which in this case, are usually businesses operating at smaller scales. So, let us go through all the benefits of selling on GeM Marketplace one by one.
- As a digitally active marketplace, GeM is easily and directly accessible to all government departments as well as the remotest of sellers.
- The marketing efforts for sellers are drastically reduced. There is no need for the sellers to follow the tenders of different government departments. Once they offer their products, government departments would themselves approach the sellers.
- Products accepted against the supplier’s or seller’s guarantee or warranty are free from regular consignment inspection, testing, and evaluation procedures.
- Sellers are free to self-define the features of their products. Moreover, there are no restrictions on the features that these products must or must not have. The sellers can also upgrade their products anytime and as frequently as they want.
- The prices of products can be increased or decreased based on market conditions any time of the year. So, sellers need not fear the fluctuations in the prices of raw materials or exchange rate values, as the burden can be easily passed onto the buyers.
- Timely payments are guaranteed for the sellers, and lastly
- Registered sellers can receive complete information about the annual procurement plans of various government departments on the portal itself.
What are the Documents Required for GeM Portal Registration of Sellers?
To sell on the GeM Marketplace Portal, the concerned businesses will have to register as a “Seller” on the Portal, and such registration would be impossible without the submission of all the required documents. A complete list has been provided in the table below.
| S.No | Documents Required for “Seller” Registration on GeM Login Portal |
|---|---|
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1. |
PAN Card of the authorized Representative of the concerned business |
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2. |
Aadhar Card of the authorized Representative of the concerned business
|
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3. |
A copy of income tax returns of the last three years for verifying and validating the authorized representative of the of the concerned business |
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4. |
Certificate of Incorporation and Corporate Identification or CIN of the concerned business |
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5. |
MSME Certificate or Udyog Aadhaar Number of the concerned business, if available |
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6. |
GST registration certificate of the concerned business |
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7. |
Bank account details with a copy of a canceled cheque of the concerned business |
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8. |
Address Proof of the registered office premises of the concerned business |
Eligibility Criteria for GeM Portal Seller Registration
Any seller who manufactures and trades products or any service provider who delivers services can become a seller on the Government E-Marketplace and can apply for GeM Portal Registration. The sellers registered on GeM can be categorized into two types: the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and the Reseller. The OEM is the actual manufacturer of the product or original provider of the service. They sell their product or service to the “Reseller” registered on the platform who resells them ultimately to the registered end-buyers or the concerned Government Agencies.
Procedure for Registering on GeM Portal India
The procedure for registering on GeM Portal India is quite simple, quick and cost-effective as it can be carried out in a 100% online mode from its beginning to the end. You will just have to follow a few steps which we have discussed below in great depth and detail.
Step 1: Documentation
The process of registration on the GeM Portal begins with documentation. Without adequate, accurate, and updated submission of necessary documents, registering on GeM is impossible for sellers. We have provided a complete list of all the documents required for Seller Registration on the GeM Portal above. Make sure you arrange all those documents in their updated formats before beginning the process of GeM registration. Once you have arranged all these documents, you can move to the next step which is the creation of your account on the portal.
Step 2: Creation of Account on GEM portal
To create an account you will have to sign up on the portal first, and then select the “seller” option from the homepage menu. After this, you will be directed to a new page, where you will be able to access the form for creating your account. Fill in all the details asked here with the correct information. Once you are done filling out the details in the form, you will be required to verify your identity.
Step 3: Verification of the applicant
To verify the identity of the applicant business, a verification email will be sent to the registered e-mail address. Open the verification mail and complete the verification process. Once completed, you can proceed to the next and final step, which is the GeM Portal Login.
Step 4: GeM Portal Login
After the verification is successfully conducted, you will receive an activation mail on the registered email address which will contain your login credentials. Use the credentials for GeM Portal Login. After that, you can fill out all the remaining details and link the bank account to be used for all transactions with the account created on the portal.
With this, the Sellers GeM registration process finally gets completed. The sellers will now be able to list their products or services along with their pricing on the GeM Portal. They are free to set the prices of the products / services according to their will.
Conclusion
The GeM portal has made the procurement process more accessible, simple, and quick for all stakeholders, thus revolutionizing the way government procurement is done in India. The government’s efforts to leverage technology and innovation to bring about systemic changes in the procurement process are commendable, and the GeM portal is a testimony to that. With continuous improvements and upgrades, the GeM portal has the potential to become a game-changer for public procurement in India.
