Government e-Marketplace (GeM) marked seven years of the Womaniya initiative, its flagship programme aimed at strengthening the participation of women-led Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in public procurement. The commemorative event was held at Jeevan Bharti Building, New Delhi.

Seven years on, the impact of the initiative is evident. As of 14 January 2026, more than two lakh women-led MSEs are registered on the GeM portal. Collectively, these enterprises have secured public procurement orders exceeding ₹80,000 crore, accounting for 4.7 per cent of GeM’s total order value, significantly surpassing the mandated three per cent procurement target for women-owned and women-led enterprises.

Launched on 14 January 2019, Womaniya was conceived to address the limited access of women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to government markets. By providing a direct, transparent and fully digital interface with government buyers, the initiative eliminated intermediaries and reduced entry barriers that had historically constrained participation. Over the years, Womaniya has evolved from an access-enabling platform into a national ecosystem of opportunity.

The event brought together policymakers, multilateral institutions and ecosystem partners to reflect on this journey. Addresses were delivered by Joint Secretary (SME), Ministry of MSME, Smt. Mercy Epao; Chief of Staff, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, Smt. Radhika Kaul Batra; and Country Programme Manager, UN Women India, Smt. Suhela Khan. The speakers highlighted the importance of institutional access, capability building and sustained policy support in advancing women’s economic participation, and underscored the need for promoting gender-responsive public procurement.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer, GeM, Shri Mihir Kumar, stated that Womaniya has grown into a structured and scalable ecosystem and has emerged as a flagship initiative enabling women-led enterprises to scale their businesses through resilience and credibility. He noted that policy-enabled digital procurement through the GeM portal has played a key role in nurturing women entrepreneurship and advancing gender inclusion in public procurement. He emphasised the importance of price discovery and product comparison for government buyers, the need for women entrepreneurs to understand procurement patterns on the portal, awareness of Government Financial Rules (GFR), and the convergence of stakeholders to collectively support and promote women entrepreneurship.

A key highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between GeM and the Women’s Collective Forum (WCF). The MoU was signed by Additional Chief Executive Officer, GeM, Shri Ajit B. Chavan, and Chief Community Officer, WCF, Ms. Richa Sharma. The partnership aims to strengthen institutional support for women entrepreneurs by building awareness of business-to-government opportunities, supporting onboarding, documentation, compliance and product listing, and enhancing visibility and participation through structured training programmes, workshops and field-level coordination.

The programme also featured testimonials from women entrepreneurs, interactive sessions and roundtable discussions, providing insights into how access to public procurement has translated into enterprise growth and local economic impact.

Aligned with national priorities such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and Vocal for Local, the Womaniya initiative reflects the Government’s commitment to gender-inclusive economic growth and demonstrates how policy, platforms and partnerships can work together to transform participation into prosperity.

***

Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan/Anushka Pandey

(Release ID: 2215001) Visitor Counter : 533