New Delhi, May 19, 2025 — The Government e-Marketplace (GeM), India’s flagship online procurement platform, has set an ambitious procurement target of ₹7 lakh crore for the financial year 2024–25. With a vision to transform the face of public procurement in India, GeM is introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities in 10 Indian languages to make the platform more accessible, inclusive, and efficient for users across the nation.
This move marks a critical step in the Digital India initiative, aiming to remove linguistic barriers in governance and bring millions of new users into the fold of transparent and accountable public procurement.
GeM: The Engine of Transparent Government Procurement
Launched in August 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GeM has become one of the most impactful reforms in the public procurement landscape. The platform allows central and state government departments, PSUs, and autonomous bodies to purchase goods and services directly from registered vendors in a transparent and competitive manner.
As of May 2025, GeM has achieved a cumulative Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of over ₹5 lakh crore, serving as a crucial link between over 70,000 buyer organizations and more than 60 lakh sellers and service providers across India.
Its new goal of ₹7 lakh crore procurement for FY25 reflects the platform’s expanding role in India’s economic and digital transformation.
AI-Powered Multilingual Interface: Bridging the Digital Divide
A core component of GeM’s latest upgrade is its AI-based multilingual interface, now supporting 10 Indian languages, including:
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Hindi
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Tamil
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Telugu
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Bengali
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Marathi
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Kannada
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Gujarati
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Punjabi
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Malayalam
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Odia
By integrating Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI-driven search capabilities in these regional languages, GeM is breaking down the linguistic barriers that often prevent small and rural entrepreneurs from participating in government tenders and contracts.
Why Multilingual AI Matters
India’s linguistic diversity is one of its biggest assets — and challenges — in digital governance. More than 85% of Indians speak a regional language as their primary language. However, most online platforms in governance and commerce are still primarily English-based.
With this update, GeM becomes one of the first government platforms to embrace multilingual AI at scale. This will significantly boost participation from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, as well as rural areas, empowering small businesses, women entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and local artisans to participate on equal footing.
Government’s Vision: Inclusion, Innovation, and Impact
Speaking about the development, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, emphasized GeM’s role in democratizing public procurement:
“GeM is not just a platform—it’s a mission to ensure efficiency, equity, and empowerment in how the government does business. Through AI integration in multiple languages, we’re ensuring no citizen is left behind in India’s digital growth story.”
The platform also integrates features that help buyers identify and prioritize sellers from underrepresented categories, including:
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Women-led enterprises
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Startups
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MSMEs
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SC/ST entrepreneurs
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Divyangjan (Persons with Disabilities)
GeM's policies also promote the procurement of Make in India products, contributing to the goals of the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign.
Digital Features Driving Procurement Transformation
With the integration of AI, GeM is introducing a host of new features designed to improve efficiency, accuracy, and user experience:
1. Voice Search in Regional Languages
Users can now search for products or services by speaking in their native language, significantly reducing dependency on typing or translation.
2. AI-Based Product Recommendations
Buyers will receive intelligent suggestions for vendors, products, and services based on historical data, location, and user behavior.
3. Chatbot Assistance
An AI-powered chatbot now handles user queries in real-time, offering support in multiple Indian languages for seamless issue resolution.
4. Smart Analytics Dashboard
For government buyers, a new dashboard powered by AI and machine learning provides actionable insights, procurement trends, and compliance alerts.
Economic Impact and MSME Empowerment
A major thrust of GeM's growth has been its focus on empowering MSMEs, which make up over 80% of sellers on the platform. By simplifying registration and ensuring payment cycles within stipulated timeframes, GeM has become a preferred gateway for small businesses to scale up.
According to government data, more than 60% of orders placed on GeM in FY24 were from micro and small enterprises.
The AI upgrade and multilingual expansion are expected to:
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Increase MSME participation by 30–40%
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Improve procurement efficiency across departments
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Encourage localized procurement from districts and villages
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Boost the rural economy through better market access
₹7 Lakh Crore Target: Feasible and Forward-Looking
While the ₹7 lakh crore procurement target for FY25 may seem ambitious, analysts suggest it is achievable given the pace of digitization and procurement mandates across ministries.
In FY24, procurement on GeM crossed ₹4.5 lakh crore, a nearly 150% increase from FY23. With rising adoption among states and PSUs and the mandatory use of GeM for many central purchases, the growth trajectory is expected to continue.
Major procurement categories expected to drive this growth include:
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IT equipment and software
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Healthcare supplies
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Renewable energy products
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Construction and infrastructure services
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Office furniture and stationery
Looking Ahead: A Global Model for Digital Governance
GeM’s success has earned it international attention, with countries in Africa and South Asia studying the model for replication. Its blend of transparency, accessibility, and technology integration is seen as a benchmark for digital public infrastructure.
India is also exploring opportunities to integrate blockchain, digital ID verification, and real-time payment systems with GeM to further improve security, traceability, and user experience.
Final Thoughts
The Government e-Marketplace is not just a procurement platform — it’s an engine for inclusive growth, digital empowerment, and economic resilience. By aiming for ₹7 lakh crore in procurement and deploying AI tools across 10 languages, GeM is setting a new standard in how governments can use technology to serve their citizens better.
As India moves toward becoming a $5 trillion economy, platforms like GeM will play a foundational role in ensuring that public funds are spent efficiently, ethically, and equitably.
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