How to Register GeM Portal Online

On the recommendation of two Groups of Secretaries, the Prime Minister has launched the dedicated e-Marketplace for different goods and services. The platform transforms the digital e-commerce portal for selling Goods/ Services.

The Government e-Marketplace aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement. Also, it provides the tools of e-bidding, reverse e-auction and demand aggregation to get government users and receive the best value for their money.

If you want to start selling your products or services on the portal, then you have to follow a process to register on the GeM portal. Below we shared a complete process with documentation and eligibility criteria. Check and register your business on the portal.

What is a GeM Portal?

The GeM full form is Government e-Marketplace. It is a portal for public procurement in India and was launched on August 9th, 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The main reason to launch the platform is to bring transparency to the old public procurement tender process by government departments. 

How Does GeM Portal Work?

This acts as a centralised and unified public procurement platform for the government buyer organisations and suppliers of goods and services. The platform does the following things:

• Policy reforms for current processes of the public procurement ecosystem
• Driving Inclusiveness and Ease of Doing Business with the government for smaller organisations such as MSMEs.
• Standardisation of processes backed by the regulatory framework
• A fully automated system enabled through advanced technologies

Benefits of the GeM Portal for Buyer and Seller

The benefits of the Government e-Marketing portal are different for both buyers and sellers. Check the different benefits of both mentioned below:

Benefits for Buyer

• Offer transparency of different products in different categories.
• Analyse different cost and industry trends.
• Easy platform for finding, selecting, and buying.
• Clear and transparent dashboard for payment and transaction.
• Straightforward and easy-to-return policy.
• Rich listing of products for individual categories of Goods/Services.
• Search, Compare, Select and Buy facility.
• Buying Goods and Services online, as and when required.
• Continuous vendor rating system.
  
  

Benefits for Seller

• No charges or fees for registration
• Access to the exact marketplace for contractors with the government.
• Direct access to all Government departments.
• One-stop shop for marketing with minimal effort.
• One-stop shop for bids / reverse auctions on products/ services
• New Product Suggestion facility available to Sellers
• Dynamic pricing: Price can change on the market conditions
• Seller-friendly dashboard for selling and monitoring of supplies and payments
• Consistent and uniform purchase procedures

Eligibility Criteria

Any seller who manufactures and trades products and services can become a seller on the Government E-Marketplace and can apply for GeM Portal Registration. The sellers who want to register on the GeM portal can be categorised into two types:

1. Original Equipment Manufacturer: The OEM is an actual manufacturer of the product or service. 
2. Reseller: The OEM sells their product or service to the “Reseller” who is registered on the platform. They resell the product or service to the end users or to the concerned Government Agencies.

Documents for GeM

The sellers who want to register them on the portal must register themselves on the portal. For registering, the seller must have the following documents:

1. PAN Card and Aadhar Card
2. A copy of income tax returns for the last three years
3. Certificate of Incorporation and Corporate Identification or CIN
4. MSME Certificate or Udyog Aadhaar Number, if available
5. GST registration certificate
6. Bank account details with a copy of a cancelled cheque
7. Address Proof of the registered office premises

Process for Registering on GeM Portal

The process for registering on the portal is simple and quick. Also, it is complete online so applicants don’t need to visit any government office. From start to end the process is online, check the below steps to understand the process:

Step 1: Documentation

The first step of registering is to upload the documents on the portal. All the documents must be accurate and updated at the time of submission. In case of not having proper documents, it becomes difficult for sellers to register on the portal. A complete list of documents is provided above.

Before submitting the documents make sure to arrange all the documents in an updated format. Once all the documents get uploaded, move to the next step which is the creation of your account.

Step 2: Creation of an Account on GeM portal

In this step, first, sign up on the portal, and select the option “seller” from the homepage menu. Now you will be directed to a new page where you get the form to create an account. Fill out the form with the correct details and after completing the form you have to verify the identification.

Step 3: Verification of the applicant

To verify the applicant's business, a verification email will be sent to the registered email address of the seller. In a mail, you will get an option to verify the mail and complete the verification process. After completion of this step, now there is the final step, which is the GeM Portal Login.

Step 4: GeM Portal Login

After completing the verification process, now you will receive an account activation email on your registered email address. This mail contains the login credentials which you can use to log in on the GeM portal.

Now you can fill in all the other remaining details and can link your bank account to all transactions. After following all these steps your registration process is complete. Now you can list your products and services along with the pricing on the GeM platform. The seller has complete freedom to set the price of their products and services.

Facilities of Government e-Marketing Platform

The different facilities provided by GeM to the buyers and sellers are mentioned below:

• For individuals, different Goods/ Services are listed in categories for common use. Check the dynamic pricing basis by comparing the products.
• A marketplace to buy the common user items. Can buy Goods and Services online, as and when required.
• Provided a Single window system for aggregating demands and ordering. This brings transparency for both sellers and buyers.
• A great way to get the items at a low value is by bulk buying at a competitive price using Reverse Auction/ e-bidding.
• Buyers can rate the seller and their product/ services. Easy return policy without much process.
• User-friendly dashboard for buying and monitoring supplies and payments.

Features of GeM

The following are the features of Government e-Marketing: 

• Transparency: GeM eliminates any human interface in vendor registration, order placement and payment processing. At every step, SMS and e-Mail notifications are sent to both buyers and sellers.
• Efficiency: A buyer can purchase on GeM in a matter of minutes. The entire process is online with end-to-end integration. On the platform, the facility bidding/ Reverse Auction (RA) is the most transparent and efficient as compared to the e-procurement system within the Government sector.
• Secure and Safe: All the documents are secure on the GeM platform as the documents are e-Signed at various stages by the buyers and sellers. The antecedents of the suppliers are verified online, through MCA21, Aadhar and PAN databases. 
• Savings to the Government: The transparency, efficiency and ease of use bring a substantial reduction in the prices on GeM as compared to the tender, Rate Contract and direct purchase rates.

Conclusion

The GeM portal made the procurement process easier, simpler and accessible for all stakeholders. Also, it brings a revolutionary change in the procurement process in India. Technology and innovation are used to bring change to the e-commerce platform. Since its launch continuous improvement has done in the portal. Now, the GeM portal has become a game-changer in public procurement in India.

Author: Dushyant Sharma

Hey there, I'm Dushyant Sharma. With the extensive knowledge I've gained in past 8 years, I have been creating content on various subjects such as banking, insurance, telecom, and all the important registration and licensing processes for various companies. I'm here to help everyone with my expertise in these areas through my articles.