Ministry of defence leads as top procurer on government e-marketplace

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has emerged as the leading ministry out of 56 ministries/ departments that participate in the Government-e-Marketplace (GeM), holding the top position in both order value and order quantity. 

The procurement through GeM has already reached an impressive Rs 18,790.60 crore, till September 12.

The MoD’s order value in FY22-23 was Rs 28,732.90 crore, which stood at Rs 15,091.30 crore in FY 21-22. 

Under the aegis of the Department of Defence Production (DDP), the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) sold goods and services on GeM worth Rs 2,642.66 crore on GeM in FY 22-23.

Since its inception, the MoD has contributed significantly to the Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of GeM, which reached an impressive Rs 73,225.30 crore as on September 12.

The significant milestone of procuring goods and services worth over Rs 18,000 crore, underscores an outstanding average daily order value of Rs 109 crore in the current financial year. 

“The remarkable achievement in the current fiscal results from the active participation of more than 19,800 buyers across the country, collectively placing over 3 lakh orders,” said a MoD release on Thursday.

The MoD’s contribution to the overall GMV of GeM has remained strong, standing at approximately 15 per cent since its inception and increasing to 16 per cent for the current financial year. 

Since inception, out of the 17,026,945 orders placed on GeM, the MoD has played a significant role, accounting for nearly 28 per cent of a total of 4,761,585 orders.

The GeM was started in August 2016 to revamp the old tender process and usher in greater probity and transparency in government procurement through digitisation. In the last seven years, the MoD has been committed towards the digital drive. 

“The MoD’s impressive procurement through GeM underlines the platform’s effectiveness and efficiency in facilitating transparent and streamlined procurement operations. The widespread embrace of GeM by various defence entities further underscores its success in simplifying and enhancing the overall procurement landscape,” the MoD statement said.