Government e-Marketplace (GeM) marked seven years of its Womaniya initiative, a flagship programme aimed at strengthening the participation of women-led Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in government procurement. The commemorative event was held at the Jeevan Bharti Building, New Delhi.
What is Womaniya Initiative
The Womaniya Initiative is a women-centric public procurement programme launched under the GeM framework to enable women entrepreneurs and women-led Self Help Groups (SHGs) to directly access government buyers. It provides a transparent, paperless and fully digital platform that eliminates intermediaries and procedural barriers traditionally faced by women-owned enterprises in public procurement.
The initiative reflects India’s policy shift towards inclusive economic growth and gender-responsive governance, using public procurement as a tool for socio-economic inclusion.
Background and rationale
GeM was launched in 2016 to make government procurement transparent, efficient and technology-driven. Public procurement in India accounts for nearly 20% of GDP, making it a powerful lever for policy-driven inclusion.
Launched on 14 January 2019, the Womaniya Initiative was designed to address structural constraints such as limited market access, lack of networks, procedural complexity and dependence on intermediaries that restricted women entrepreneurs’ participation in government markets.
Objectives and core features
The initiative aims to:
- Enable women entrepreneurs and women-led SHGs to directly sell to government buyers
- Reduce procedural complexity through a fully digital, paperless process
- Ensure transparent price discovery and timely payments
- Support formalisation, scalability and improved creditworthiness of women-owned businesses
Women sellers can register, list products, receive orders and payments entirely through the GeM portal, significantly lowering entry barriers.
Seven-year performance and key achievements
As of 14 January 2026:
- More than two lakh women-led MSEs are registered on the GeM portal
- These enterprises have secured government procurement orders worth over ₹80,000 crore
- This accounts for about 4.7% of GeM’s total order value
This share is significantly higher than the government-mandated 3% procurement target for women-owned and women-led enterprises, indicating increased trust of government buyers in women entrepreneurs.
Role in women-led enterprise development
The Womaniya Initiative has become a key enabler for women-led MSEs by:
- Providing assured demand through government orders
- Improving income stability and business sustainability
- Supporting MSME growth, Digital India and women’s economic empowerment
It also complements rural livelihood missions by linking grassroots women producers to institutional buyers. India has over 8 crore SHG members, with women constituting more than 85% of total SHG participation.
Governance and Economic Significance
Digitally enabled procurement under Womaniya strengthens ethical procurement by promoting openness, competition and accountability while reducing discretion.
Economically, the initiative contributes to:
- Job creation and income diversification
- Growth of local manufacturing, especially in rural and semi-urban areas
- Advancement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality)
Gender-responsive procurement is globally recognised as an effective instrument to reduce income inequality and promote inclusive growth.
From Access to Ecosystem
Over seven years, Womaniya has evolved from a basic access-enabling platform into a national ecosystem of opportunity. Women-led enterprises now use GeM not only to access markets, but also to:
- Build credibility
- Scale operations
- Integrate into formal supply chains
This marks the transition of Womaniya from a support programme to a systemic inclusion mechanism within India’s public finance and procurement architecture.
Policy and institutional support
The anniversary event brought together policymakers, multilateral organisations and ecosystem partners. Discussions highlighted the importance of:
- Institutional market access
- Capability building
- Sustained policy support
- Gender-responsive public procurement as a growth strategy
Stakeholders emphasised the need for awareness among women entrepreneurs regarding:
- Procurement patterns on GeM
- Government Financial Rules (GFR)
- Effective price discovery and product comparison
New partnership for expanded outreach
A major highlight was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between GeM and the Women’s Collective Forum (WCF). The partnership aims to:
- Build awareness of business-to-government opportunities
- Support onboarding, documentation and compliance
- Improve product listing and visibility on GeM
- Provide structured training programmes, workshops and field-level coordination
Voices from ground and national alignment
Testimonials from women entrepreneurs showcased how access to public procurement has translated into enterprise growth, employment generation and local economic development across regions.
Aligned with national priorities such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and Vocal for Local, the Womaniya Initiative demonstrates how strategic alignment of policy, digital platforms and partnerships can convert participation into prosperity for women entrepreneurs.