Women entrepreneurs have shown significant growth on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), with order values surging from Rs 1,265.62 crore in FY2018–19 to Rs 83,323 crore by FY2025–26. This increase is accompanied by a rise in order volumes from 1,01,530 to 44,48,894, indicating a growing presence of women-led enterprises in public procurement through the SWAYATT initiative.
Moreover, startups have also experienced a remarkable upturn on the GeM platform, with cumulative order values escalating from Rs 497.24 crore in FY 2018–19 to Rs 54,005.8 crore by FY 2025–26. Correspondingly, order volumes have expanded from 17,434 to 5,30,578 during this period, underscoring the increasing role of startups in public procurement facilitated by SWAYATT.
The GeM recently marked the seven-year journey of its flagship initiative, SWAYATT, emphasizing its dedication to fostering inclusivity in public procurement for startups, women entrepreneurs, and youth nationwide. GeM CEO Mihir Kumar highlighted that SWAYATT aligns with GeM’s vision of enhancing inclusivity in public procurement by granting startups, women entrepreneurs, and youth direct access to government markets.
SWAYATT was conceived to democratize government procurement by enabling startups, women entrepreneurs, youth, Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), and last-mile sellers to participate directly in the public procurement ecosystem through GeM. The initiative focuses on addressing key challenges faced by emerging enterprises, including market access, finance access, and value addition, by leveraging GeM’s digital procurement infrastructure.
A commemorative event celebrating the seven-year journey of SWAYATT was held at the GeM office, bringing together policymakers, startup founders, women entrepreneurs, and ecosystem partners to reflect on the initiative’s impact and future plans.
