About GeM 

• Launched in 2016, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is a 100 percent government-owned company setup under the aegis of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• It is a completely paperless, cashless and system driven e-market place that enables procurement of common use goods and services with minimal human interface. GeM aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement.
• GeM was developed with the technical support of the National eGovernance Division under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

• In 2017, the government made it mandatory for all the departments and ministries to source goods and services from the GeM.

Why in News?

• Procurement orders by Ministry of Defence (MoD) through Government e-Market (GeM) portal have reached an all-time high of Rs 15,047.98 crore for Financial Year 2021-22. It is a jump of more than 250 percent over the last financial year.

Reference:

1. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1821531