Government e-marketplace GeM consults with Textiles Ministry, MSME Ministry to onboard weavers, craftspeople

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jun 9, 2020

The Government e-marketplace GeM is holding discussions with the Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises to onboard more craftspeople onto the platform. 

 
The team running public procurement portal GeM is working to increase the proportion of products made by ‘self-help groups’ including craftspeople, weavers, tribal communities, and MSMEs on its platform, the Press Trust of India reported.

GeM is holding consultations with the Ministry of Textiles to review data of 21 lakh weavers and 18 lakh craftspeople to potentially onboard onto the platform. 

GeM’s discussions with the MSME Ministry include reviews of 92 lakh units for potential onboarding to increase inclusivity on the platform. Products have already been uploaded onto the platform through the Ministry of Rural Development and the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation.
 
“The vision expounded by the Prime Minister for GeM is to drive the three pillars of inclusivity; efficiency with attendant cost savings; and transparency along with more and more usability,” said GeM’s CEO Talleen Kumar, the Press Trust of India reported.

“This is reflective of an appetite to reimagine the status quo and usher in structural reforms through technology.
 
“The GeM platform is an example of how digital platforms created with a strategic, clear-minded intent to reinvigorate and reimagine legacy processes can bring about lasting change for the nation and for the underserved,” said Kumar.
 
Government departments and schools have purchased goods form the platform, which was launched by the Commerce Ministry in 2016. The platform currently has close to 6,400 product categories.