Introduction to Government e-Marketplace (Gem) In India:

Based on the recommendation of the Group of Secretaries, the honorable Prime Minister of India decided to set up a dedicated e-marketplace for different goods and services businesses in India. 

Government e-marketplace is a one-stop Online National Public Portal. The platform is created with the vision to affect evolution in public procurement promoting a transparent, efficient and inclusive marketplace.

The platform provides the opportunity to sellers to set competitive market prices as well as awareness of the demand for products and services in which they operate their businesses.

The GeM portal introduced the Udyog Aadhar self-facilitated registration to promote MSMEs Sector in India and help MSMEs to get better business opportunities in just a few clicks with minimal marketing and advertising expenses.

GeM portal provides paperless and contactless business opportunity to Indian Sellers under ease of doing business in India in amidst COVID-19.

GeM offers the opportunity to Indian MSMEs Registered Sellers to avail of the various benefits of GeM Registration https://gem.gov.in/.  

Top 10 benefits of GeM registration is as mentioned below:

1. Contactless, paperless and cashless registration.

2. Direct access to over 43000 buyers organizations.

3. No middlemen i.e. sell directly to the Indian government.

4. Timely payments

5. Timely delivery acceptance.

6. No more searching for tender notices in magazines and newspapers

7. Minimal marketing efforts and expenses

8. Dynamic pricing allows MSEs to change price based on market conditions

9.  Freedom from product registration

10. Gem portal API integration with Udhyog Aadhar https://udyogaadhaar.gov.in/UA/UAM_Registration.aspx, sellers can validate their MSMEs status through Udhyog Aadhar without the need to upload or submit any proof to any authority in GeM.

MSME cum GeM registered Sellers in India must know the fact that approx 45% of contracts on GeM have been awarded to MSMEs in India.

If you are an Indian Seller and planning to get your business GeM registered then you must know the answers of folowing question as discussed below:

• Whether seller consent required for the cancellation of the contract? Answer: If the delivery date is expired, then the consent of the seller not required. however, if the delivery date is not expired, then the consent of the seller required.
• What is the time frame for providing consent by the seller regarding the cancellation of the contract? Answer: once a buyer raises a request for the cancellation of the contract, it will automatically be reflected on the seller dashboard. After that, the seller gets 5 calendar days to accept the cancellation. Post expiration of duration, the request will be auto-declined and the contract will still remain valid. 

Source: https://gem.gov.in/userFaqs/seller

In amidst of COVID-19, the GeM registration not only provide e-marketplace to the sellers but also provide contactless and paperless registration. The GeM portal provides the GeM catalog features for Indian Sellers dealing in an item such as masks, gloves, disinfectants, reagents, etc. 

Indian Government has capped the prices of some essential products related to COVID-19. Link of Indian Government Notification https://assets-bg.gem.gov.in/resources/pdf/Masks-Sanitiser-MRP-Gazette.pdf.

In a nutshell, Indian Seller especially who are MSMEs registered must get their businesses registered on GeM Portal for better business opportunity and to capture the larger Indian business market in just a few clicks to expand and diversify their business as well as for survival in amidst of COVID-19.