Government e Marketplace (GeM) commemorated six years of the Startups, Women & Youth Advantage through eTransactions (SWAYATT) initiative at its headquarters in New Delhi on 19 February 2025. Launched in 2019, SWAYATT was conceived to bolster the participation of women-led enterprises, startups, and youth in public procurement. Anchored in GeM’s core principle of social inclusion, the initiative is committed to enhancing ease of doing business by facilitating direct access to public procurement for Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), and startups, particularly from marginalised communities. It focuses on training, onboarding last-mile sellers, and fostering women entrepreneurship to strengthen small-scale businesses in government procurement. To mark the occasion, GeM signed an MoU with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry Ladies Organisation (FICCI-FLO), representing over 9,500 women entrepreneurs. The partnership aims to connect women entrepreneurs directly with government buyers, eliminating intermediaries, ensuring competitive pricing, and fostering inclusive economic growth. Training, onboarding support, and market linkages under this collaboration will empower local businesses and enhance value addition in public spending. “At the time of SWAYATT’s launch, only 6,300 women-led enterprises and 3,400 startups were onboarded on GeM. Since then, the platform has grown exponentially,” said Shri L Satya Srinivas, CEO, GeM. He highlighted that startups on the platform have successfully fulfilled orders worth Rs 359 billion. Women entrepreneurs now comprise 8% of GeM’s seller base, with 1,77,786 Udyam-verified women MSEs collectively fulfilling orders worth Rs 466 billion. Speaking at the event, FICCI-FLO President Smt Joyashree Das Verma underscored how digital platforms like GeM have democratized access to opportunities for women entrepreneurs. She stressed the importance of advocacy, outreach, and training in expanding the reach of GeM among affiliated members. SWAYATT has evolved into a comprehensive initiative, featuring dedicated storefronts like “Startup Runway” and “Womaniya” for enhanced visibility among government buyers. By dismantling entry barriers, GeM has empowered over 29,000 startups with procurement opportunities. Industry Outlook: Digital Procurement and Inclusive Growth GeM is poised to play a transformative role in India’s digital procurement ecosystem, aiming to onboard 1 lakh Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)-registered startups. By strengthening collaborations with women-led MSEs, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), SHGs, and cooperatives, GeM envisions doubling the number of women entrepreneurs on the platform and increasing their procurement share from the current 3.78%. The initiative is set to drive inclusive growth, fostering a competitive, transparent, and accessible marketplace.