GeM Marks Seven Years of ‘Womaniya’ Initiative

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

About the Womaniya Initiative

• Launched on: 14 January 2019
• Objective: To strengthen access of women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to government procurement markets
• Platform: Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

Womaniya was conceived to address long-standing challenges such as limited market access, intermediaries, and high entry barriers faced by women entrepreneurs.

Key Achievements (as of 14 January 2026)

• Over 2 lakh women-led MSEs registered on the GeM portal
• Public procurement orders worth more than ₹80,000 crore secured by these enterprises
• Women-led MSEs account for 4.7% of GeM’s total order value
• This exceeds the mandated 3% procurement target for women-owned and women-led enterprises

Impact and Evolution

• Womaniya provides a direct, transparent, and fully digital interface between women entrepreneurs and government buyers
• It has eliminated intermediaries, ensuring fair competition and ease of doing business
• Over time, the initiative has evolved from a mere access-enabling platform into a nationwide ecosystem of opportunity for women-led enterprises