‘GeM Seller Samvad’ held in Guwahati
HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Sept 26: To create awareness about the functionality of Government e-Marketplace (GeM) among the sellers, entrepreneurs and media, an event titled ‘GeM Seller Samvad’ was held in PWD Convention Centre, Guwahati on Monday. The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in collaboration with the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Guwahati organised the event. The GeM Seller Samvad aimed at having an interactive session with the stakeholders to get their feedback and suggestions to further improve the service delivery of the digital platform.
In her welcome address, Pavni Gupta, deputy director, PIB spoke about the importance and benefits of a unified market under this platform. Highlighting the background of GeM she said that since its launch in 2017, the platform has grown manifold with the gross merchandise value (GMV) crossing Rs 1 lakh crore in financial year 2021-22 alone. This has been possible only because of the participation of all the sellers that are present on the GeM platform. Gupta also added that GeM primarily functions on three pillars which are inclusivity, transparency and efficiency. A significant number of sellers like MSMEs, startups, women entrepreneurs, etc., are getting a direct platform through GeM where they can sell to the Government, she added.
Shreshth Vats, AVP-Services, in his speech said that this Seller Samvad has been planned to interact with the GeM sellers in particular and make them aware about the new GeM features and functionalities. In the last five years GeM has become one of the top three portals in the world for Government procurement and in the coming three to five years GeM is aiming to become number one in the world. Vats said that a large number of buyers and sellers are now connected with the GeM and it is important to sensitise people and improve its service delivery further.
During an interactive session, the sellers shared their experiences about the GeM platform.
“I have been registered with GeM since 2017 and 80% of our business comes from this. GeM has helped me to expand my business to different states in the country. My company is doing good business not only in the north-east but in the entire country with a good response from customers,” said Vikash Agarwal, Hitech Solutions
“My company has been associated with GeM from the very beginning. I am supplying products to various organisations in the entire north-east through GeM. This year alone I have received thousands of orders through this platform,” said Barna Das, Diodes and Semiconductors
Sanjeev Adhikari, additional business facilitator, Assam & NE, GeM gave a presentation about the new features of GeM which will enhance the seller experience on GeM.
Smita Saikia, Media and Communication officer, PIB, Guwahati moderated the event.
Notably, Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is an online platform for public procurement in India which was envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The initiative was launched on August 9, 2016 by the ministry of Commerce and Industry with the objective to create an open and transparent procurement platform for Government buyers. In pursuance of the Cabinet decision dated April 12, 2017, the GeM SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) was set up on May 17, 2017. Created in a record time of five months, GeM facilitates online procurement of common-use goods & services by Government organisations. At present, the platform is open for procurement by all Government buyers: Central and State ministries, departments, public sector enterprises, autonomous institutions, local bodies, etc. As per the existing mandate, GeM is not available for use by private sector buyers. Suppliers (sellers) can be from across all segments: the Government or private.
