Short answer: to sell to the government on GeM you must open a seller account on gem.gov.in using an Aadhaar-linked mobile number, verify it with a Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate plus PAN, GSTIN and bank details, pay the turnover-based registration fee, and get each product or service catalogue approved — only then can a government buyer see and order from you.
GeM is one channel, not the whole market. Central government tenders still run on the CPP Portal and most states run their own e-procurement portal, each with a separate vendor registration — so a firm selling products usually needs GeM plus those registrations (see the state-by-state vendor registration guide).
On GeM the listing itself is the offer: buyers reach you through Direct Purchase, L1 price comparison, Reverse Auction or a Bid, depending on the buyer's value band and the category. Tender84 tracks 16,071 GeM tenders in its index as of 3 November 2026. GeM turnover is intraday — roughly 1,400–2,700 GeM bids close on a typical working day, most of them between 10:00 and 15:00 IST — so any "open right now" GeM count is a snapshot that goes stale within hours, not a standing total.
GeM is India's largest government procurement platform. If you sell products or services to the government, you need to be on GeM. This guide covers registration, product listing, order types, bidding, and how to compete successfully.
📅 Updated: 04 November 2026 · Author: Tender84 CPIO Intelligence
The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is an online procurement platform launched by the Ministry of Commerce in 2016. It's a single, unified marketplace where:
GeM now processes lakhs of orders annually and is the default procurement channel for most central government purchases. The official portal is gem.gov.in.
Visit gem.gov.in → Click "Register" → Select "Seller" → Enter your Aadhaar-linked mobile number → Verify OTP → Fill business details (PAN, GSTIN, bank account) → Upload required documents.
GeM registration is not free. Fee depends on your turnover — see fee structure below. Payment is online via the portal. Once paid, your seller profile is activated (typically 2-5 working days for verification).
After activation, log in and complete your profile: add business details, delivery locations (districts you can serve), and list your products/services with images, specifications, and pricing. Each product goes through a quality review by GeM before going live (usually 2-3 days).
| Annual Turnover | Registration Fee (one-time) |
|---|---|
| Up to ₹5 Lakh | ₹5,000 |
| ₹5 Lakh – ₹50 Lakh | ₹7,500 |
| ₹50 Lakh – ₹1 Crore | ₹10,000 |
| Above ₹1 Crore | ₹10,000 |
Fees are subject to change. Always verify on gem.gov.in.
On GeM, your product listing IS your bid. There's no separate tender document. Key tips:
| Order Type | Value Range | How It Works | Competition Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🛒 Direct Purchase | Up to ₹25,000 | Buyer selects your product directly from the marketplace | Low — based on listing quality + price |
| 📊 L1 Comparison | ₹25,000 – ₹5 Lakh | Buyer compares prices from at least 3 sellers. Lowest price (L1) wins | Medium — pure price competition |
| 🔄 Reverse Auction (RA) | Above ₹5 Lakh | Buyer starts an auction. Sellers bid downwards in real-time. Lowest bid wins | High — real-time price war |
| 📋 Bid (Tender-based) | Any value | Complex procurements. Technical + financial evaluation like a traditional tender | High — technical + financial |
| 🛒 GeM | 📋 Traditional e-Tender | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | One-time, pan-India | Portal-by-portal (each state separately) |
| EMD Required? | ❌ Usually not | ✅ Yes — 2-5% of tender value |
| DSC Required? | ✅ Yes (Class 3, for registration) | ✅ Yes (Class 3, for every bid) |
| Bid Documents | Standardised (product listing) | Custom per tender (BOQ, technical bid, etc.) |
| Payment Cycle | 10-30 days (GeM Pool Account) | 30-90 days (department-dependent) |
| Best For | Standard products (stationery, IT, furniture, vehicles, medicines) | Works contracts (roads, buildings), custom services, large projects |
| Competition | Price + listing quality | Technical qualification + price |
We help contractors and businesses register on GeM, list products, and participate in bids. DSC, GST, and Udyam registration also available.
📞 Enquire for GeM Registration →Call +91 83510 91922 · Pan-India service · DSC + GeM + GST registration
No. GeM charges a one-time seller registration fee that scales with your annual turnover — the fee table on this page runs from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000. Treat those figures as indicative and confirm the current amount on gem.gov.in before paying, because the platform revises its fee structure.
An Aadhaar-linked mobile number for OTP verification, PAN, GSTIN, bank account details and a Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate. Product-specific proof such as OEM authorisation, MSME/Udyam or ISO certificates is uploaded later, when you publish the catalogue.
Usually not. GeM orders run off your catalogue, so unlike a traditional e-tender — where EMD is typically 2–5% of estimated value — a product purchase normally carries no earnest money deposit. If the buyer uses the Bid mode instead of a direct purchase or price comparison, read that bid document for its own payment conditions.
Direct Purchase up to ₹25,000, L1 price comparison between ₹25,000 and ₹5 lakh, Reverse Auction above ₹5 lakh, and Bid for complex procurements of any value. In a direct purchase the buyer picks a listing, in L1 the lowest of at least three quotes wins, and in a reverse auction sellers bid the price down in real time.
No. GeM registration covers GeM only. Central government tenders run on the CPP Portal at eprocure.gov.in and most states run their own e-procurement portal, each requiring a separate vendor registration — a firm selling products usually needs GeM plus those registrations.
Not all procurement happens on GeM. Browse 70,466+ live tenders across 42 portals on Tender84 — including GeM, CPP Portal, state portals, and PSUs. Free access.
🔍 Browse All Live Tenders → 🛒 GeM Tenders →