To encourage more public participation and bring more transparency in the procurement of goods and services in India through direct purchases by Government/ Ministries /Departments of Central/State Governments from manufacturers/service providers directly clearly and transparently, the Government of India launched a unique Government E-Marketplace (GeM) portal on 9th of Aug 2016. There are currently up to 4,129,625 items that are listed on the site through 3528860 vendors.
GeM is a GeM portal that is completely in control and control over the marketplace via a Special Purpose Vehicle, a non-profit organization that is under the direction by the Ministry of Commerce & Industries, Central Government of India.
Features of GeM Registration in India-
Table of Contents
- The GeM portal is an online, contact-less, and paper-less marketplace that enables the buyers (Government Ministries/departments) to purchase goods or procure services from sellers in India who have registered themselves and listed their products/ services or both on the portal effectively and transparently;
- GeM’s online marketplace GeM marketplace online replaces it with the Directorate General of Supplies & Disposal in 2016. It has revolutionized the whole process of public procurement, based upon its 3 pillars: the –
- Inclusion,
- Usability & Transparency; and
- Efficiency and Cost Savings.
- It functions as a one-stop shop to make it easier and more convenient for online purchases the consumer products and services required by different government sectors.
- It is mandatory for every buyer and seller to sign up on the portal to be eligible to use the marketplace online. In addition, it is the Government of India has made it mandatory for every seller to supply his or her “Country of origin” during the registration process, and then display the information on the website.
- To ease the process of procuring items or services and other services, GeM portal is a great option. GeM portal has a range of options, including e-bidding reverse e-auction, and demand aggregation, to help the users of government, in order to ensure that they get the most for their budget.
- GeM portal eliminates the need for human interaction. GeM portal removes the human interface of vendor registration. This permits the buyer to purchase bulk quantities of goods that could be bought through directly purchasing or via an auction on the internet which permits the Government of India to extend its assistance to small businesses and start-ups that are able to offer superior products at affordable prices.
- Since GeM is a GeM portal that operates as an open, transparent system it is not a barrier to restrictions for sellers to sign up on the platform. At every step, the parties are informed by e-mail and SMS of each transaction taking location on GeM.
- GeM portal allows buyers to search, evaluate and choose from the wide range of goods available on the site that provide specific information such as specifications as well as quantities and essential information about each product. Additionally, sellers can provide the product, and monitor the supply, payment, and price variations in accordance with the demands and needs that the marketplace.
GeM Portal Registration in India
Any buyer or seller who would like to post their items on the platform must be registered as either a “Seller” or a “Buyer” and submit an online application and provide the required documents and fees, i.e. generally referred to in GeM registration.
Eligibility for GeM Registration in India
Here are the eligibility criteria to be met for GeM Registration in India–
- Anyone of the following may connect to the portal and register themselves as Sellers or Buyers, which includes:
- Sole Proprietorship Firm
- Partnership Firm
- Limited Liability Partnership,
- Private Limited Company,
- Public Limited Company,
- Foreign Subsidiary Company, etc.
- The Seller could be an initial manufacturer or Reseller. To be registered in the category of “Reseller”, an applicant will need to obtain authorization from the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) for any specific category of product.
- To facilitate GeM Registration for GeM Registration in India Original Equipment Manufacturers are classified into five categories:
- Manufacturers
- Brand Owners & Third-Party Manufacturers
- Importer & Authorised Sellers
- Service Providers
- Assemblers
GeM Registration of sellers in India
- Log on to the Gem Portal by accessing and creating a login id and password for logging purposes by providing an Aadhaar number, mobile, and e-mail id.
- The next step is to go to the main page and select “Seller Registration” or Buyer Registration. Here, a seller may choose to register himself as an “OEM” or a “Reseller”;
- Next, the manufacturer/reseller will be required to go through the vendor assessment for their authenticity and due diligence purposes.
- When GeM’s GeM registration authority is satisfied that it has met all requirements for registration the authority may then approve registration and permit the listing of the products sold by sellers.
- Once the seller receives listing approval, the manufacturer/reseller/service provider may list their products/services on the GeM portal. After listing products/services on the portal, the manufacturers/resellers/service provider concerned will be able to view them on the portal to be procured/purchased by the buyer.
Eligibility Criteria for Buyer Registration in India-
- The following persons will be able to be registered as a “buyers” to be eligible for GeM enrollment in IndiaThe following persons will be eligible to register as a ‘buyer’ for the purposes
- Ministries/Departments under the Central Government.
- Ministries/Departments under the State Government
- Departments of state government or their offices subordinate to them.
- Autonomous bodies under Central/ State Govt;
- PSUs are under Central and State;
- Local bodies.
- However, any of the authorities listed below has to be recognized as the main user and is not permitted to take part in the procurement-related process.
Any officer below
- Central Government.
- State government.
- Public Sector Units (PSU).
- Local or autonomous body
- Organs of the constitution or statutory at the level of deputy secretary;
- The head of the office for any sub-center, unit, or branch.
Process of Buyer Registration in India-
- The marketplace online can be accessible to the user who is the primary (buyer) by logging in to the site https://gem.gov.inand and then registering using their Aadhaar number, telephone number, and email id and establishing a “Buyer Account” on the website.
- After the login ID and password have been set, log in to the portal and click on the “User” button and further click “Add user”. Complete the required information for the second user and then click on”Add user “Add user” button.
- When a profile for another user is made and he is able to browse the products and services listed and then purchase or procure them, in accordance with his requirements.
Documents Required
- For Seller Registration
Sellers who want to offer their services or products through GeM’s online portal GeM online portal must be registered when they register-
PAN information on the company concerned;
The CIN or the registration numbers of a business;
- Information and confirmation on details and verification of Key Persons authorized by the company;
- The details of the registered office of the business including any other locations like factories, warehouses billing address, warehouses, or any other similar locations;
- Information about the bank account of the business;
- A copy of the Cancelled check;
- For Buyer Registration-
In order for a buyer to be registered as a buyer on the portal The following information must be needed:
- Aadhaar The primary number of the user
- Mobile number
- Official e-mail address
- The copy of the authorization letter issued by the department they work for;
Benefits of signing up for GeM Portal in India
- Encourages Public Participation in Govt. Tenders: The principal goal of GeM Registration within India is to encourage more public participation via a more transparent procedure. This encourages the participation of the public in the government. tenders by giving buyers access to national the procurement market.
- User-Friendly Dashboard- To ensure the ease of buyers and sellers in India New user-friendly features are available through options like e-bidding, auctions, and payment management contracts, etc.
- iii. Benefits of Buyers to purchase/purchase goods or services-
Not just the GeM registration is beneficial to sellers in India however, it also benefits buyers from India through a variety of ways, includingfor example
- Buyers can get the most effective products and services at affordable price by bidding online with more than three lakh sellers.
- It allows a longer duration of bids between 10 and 21 days
- allows Pin-Code-based selection of sellers for direct purchases
- ATC library is available for adding of conditions and terms;
- Provides additional deductions for buyers at the time the bill’s generation
- Effective Grievance Redressal Methodology – Provides online grievance resolution to speedily resolve disputes for buyers and sellers.
- Facilitate Brand approvals Mechanism To facilitate brand registration and approval the GeM site has been redesigned to make it easier for sellers.
- Completely paper-free and in an online mode. The process of registration for GeM in India is now a entirely paperless and online process for bidding and reverse auction.
- A provision is made to J&K along with The North-East States- For sellers who are residents of North-East States and J&K are exempt from the requirement to submit ITRs when they register for taking part in bidding.
- Fair Participation Ensures Fairness- To ensure there is a fair participation in the auction/e-bidding process, according to the GeM must ensure that at least 3 sellers have been involved and provided items from at least 2 different OEM. If the buyer wants to proceed with less than three Resellers, or less than two brands or OEMs and brands, the buyer cannot proceed unless he has received permission from the appropriate authority.
- New features are introduced for OEMs- In order to provide convenience of OEMs, GeM portal GeM portal has added new features that include enhancements to the parameters of the existing report, as well as brand new chart widgets that are in line to the OEM and MAIT guidelines.
Government fees are charged for Gem Registering in India
| Caution Deposit Money (for the sellers) | Fee |
| i. holding a Turnover less than 1 Crore | Rs. 5,000/- |
| ii. Holding a Turnover between 1-10 Crores | Rs 10,000/- |
| iii. Maintaining a Turnover of more than 10 Crores | Rs 25,000/- |
| iv. Vendor Assessment Fees | Rs. 11,200 + GST |
Conclusion
Therefore, the GeM registration in India is an effective process of procurement/RA/e-bidding, which allows public participation, fairly and transparently without prescribing any class or category of individuals or business entities, and at the same time buyer in India gets the benefit of having thousands of options to purchase goods or procure services after careful assessment regarding the product/service and manufacturing business entity, which eliminates possibility of corruption and frauds.
