The Government of Sikkim and the Government e Marketplace (GeM), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today in Gangtok, Sikkim, marking a key milestone in expanding GeM’s coverage across all Indian states and Union Territories. The MoU aims to increase the adoption of the GeM platform among Sikkim’s government departments for public procurement of goods and services, ensuring efficient, transparent, and inclusive procurement processes.
The MoU signing was overseen by Sikkim’s Chief Secretary, Vijay Bhushan Pathak, with the agreement signed by A.V. Muralidharan, Chief Buyer Officer (States and UTs) for GeM, and Tarun Kumar Sharma, Chief Accounts Officer of the Home Department for the Government of Sikkim. Other key attendees included Amardeep Gupta, Director and GeM Nodal Officer for Sikkim, Ashutosh Kumar, Deputy Director (States) of GeM, and Enosh Kumar, GeM consultant for Sikkim.
As of 23rd October 2024, the Government of Sikkim has procured goods and services worth ₹90 crore through the GeM portal. With the signing of the MoU, GeM will provide additional support to Sikkim’s buyer departments through focused training, handholding, and capacity-building programmes.
Currently, 3,078 sellers from Sikkim are registered on the GeM portal, with 2,720 of them classified as “Micro” sellers. These sellers have collectively secured orders worth ₹182 crore, benefitting from bids floated by various government entities, including the Central Government, other state governments, and CPSEs. To further expand seller participation, GeM plans to conduct an onboarding programme in collaboration with Sikkim’s MSME Department to increase local sellers’ presence on the platform.
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GeM serves as a comprehensive online platform for the procurement of goods and services by Central and State Governments, CPSUs, and other affiliated departments. The platform has revolutionised public procurement through the use of technology, making the process more efficient, transparent, and inclusive. In the 2023-24 financial year, procurement through GeM exceeded ₹4 lakh crore, setting a significant benchmark for public procurement in India. With continued support from government buyers and sellers, GeM is poised to achieve even higher procurement figures in FY 2024-25.
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