Unlocking Opportunities: How GeM Empowers Startups in Public Procurement

Government e Marketplace (GeM) is India's largest e‑marketplace for government buyers, including Central & State Government Departments, Public Sector Enterprises, Autonomous Institutions as well as local bodies including Panchayats and Cooperatives.
By offering dedicated support to innovative enterprises, GeM is transforming how startups access public procurement. This article explains how emerging businesses can benefit through registration, procurement policy, success stories and growth possibilities.
Introduction to GeM and Startups: Overview of GeM Portal Startup Registration
The GeM Startup Runway Scheme is a specially designed segment on the portal that allows DPIIT recognised startups to list their innovative products and services with minimal hurdles. Under this scheme, vendors can register on GeM for Startups by uploading product/service details under globally recognised sectors like AI, Clean Tech, EdTech, FinTech and more, often without requiring prior turnover or experience.
Startup registration on the portal is free of cost and completed online via the seller dashboard. Once listed, startups become visible to a wide range of public buyers, including ministries, PSUs and autonomous institutions, through the GeM Portal Startup Registration process.
Benefits for Startups: Increased Market Access, Transparency and Opportunities
Through the platform and the GeM Startup Procurement Policy, startups receive multiple advantages:
• Access to Government Buyers: Startups gain exposure to thousands of institutional buyers across sectors. The portal integrates these buyers via data driven alerts, enabling early discovery of startup listings by relevant purchasers.
• Relaxed Eligibility Norms: The procurement policy exempts startups from submitting earnest money deposits (EMDs), and from prior experience or turnover criteria, significantly lowering entry barriers.
• Trial Orders and Feedback Loops: Government departments can issue trial orders and provide timed feedback. Products rated favourably by buyers are elevated to full seller status, helping startups build market validation quickly.
These factors align with India’s broader vision for public procurement for startups, promoting innovation and inclusive growth.
Simplified Procurement Process: Easy Registration, Bidding and Payment
The procurement process is streamlined to be startup friendly:
• Simple Onboarding: Startups only need DPIIT recognition and basic documents. Listings can be published with minimal technical information and no extensive compliance.
• Flexible Procurement Modes: Buyers may engage directly via single source procurements or conduct reverse auctions and bidding processes. Startups are eligible regardless of their product category.
• Secure and Transparent Settlement: GeM offers transparent payment cycles embedded within its vendor dashboard. Once delivery is verified, startups receive payment through integrated systems like PFMS, ensuring timely settlement.
This level of procurement simplification helps foster trust and ensures startups compete on innovation rather than paperwork.
Success Stories: Examples of Startups Thriving on GeM
Several DPIIT recognised startups have effectively leveraged the platform:
• EdgeFX Technologies (Hyderabad) used the GeM Startup Runway Scheme to secure orders from educational institutions by listing innovative EdTech products.
• Noccarc (Pune) developed a ventilator in 90 days during the pandemic and listed it on the portal to meet urgent demand in health agencies. Similarly, GenRobotics (Kerala) provided robotic solutions for urban infrastructure needs via single-source tenders under rule-based exemptions.
• Craftico Creations (Jaipur) is a creative enterprise using the portal to market artisanal products made by women artists; the founder credited GeM for expanding government procurement reach into underserved artisan communities.
These stories illustrate how startups, from health tech to arts, have used GeM to establish credibility and scale operations.
Growth Opportunities: Potential for Startups to Scale and Expand
Engagement on the platform opens up a range of growth avenues:
• Wide Procurement Network: With 1.64 lakh buyer organisations and a large number of startup suppliers active, startups can tap multiple sectors across the country. For instance, over 34,000 DPIIT recognised startups are onboarded on GeM, receiving orders worth ₹46,000 crore+*. (*Data as on 10 October 2025)
• Product Scaling and Repeat Orders: Startups that earn favourable buyer ratings often receive follow on orders. The rating mechanism provides market validation and improves discoverability by buyers.
• Access to Finance: GeM’s supports such as “GeM Sahay” enable eligible proprietor sellers to receive collateral free loans at competitive rates to fulfil orders — a valuable support for early stage enterprises.
• Strategic Insights: GeM’s dashboards offer insights into procurement trends, popular categories and buyer preferences. Startups can refine pricing, product features and listing strategy based on real time data.
Conclusion
With the GeM Startup Runway Scheme, the Government e Marketplace offers a game changing platform for innovation led enterprises. The portal lowers entry barriers through relaxed procurement norms, prioritises transparency through its rating and bidding system, and enhances access thanks to large scale buyer visibility.
The GeM Portal Startup Registration process is simple and secure, while the GeM Startup Procurement Policy enables trial orders, feedback mechanisms and rapid validation.
Success stories illustrate the transformative potential of this approach. With scalable growth, improved finance access and greater buyer reach, the ecosystem is ripe for innovation.
In sum, GeM is helping convert startups’ disruptive ideas into viable government solutions — turning entrepreneurial vision into national impact.
Sources:
• GeM Official Website: https://gem.gov.in Wikipedia
• Startup India: https://www.startupindia.gov.in