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?

• The Government e-Marketplace has achieved a Gross Merchandise Value of 1.5 lakh crore rupees in the current fiscal. GeM is suitably placed to exceed its annual target of 1.75 lakh crore rupees.
• GeM has surpassed the 3 lakh crore rupee Gross Merchandise Value since inception, with the support of its stakeholders. The total number of transactions on GeM has also crossed 1.3 crore.
• GeM has over 66 thousand government buyer organisations and more than 58 lakh sellers and service providers offering a diverse range of goods and services.
• The portal features over eleven thousand product categories with more than 29 lakh listed products, as well as over 270 service categories with more than 2.5 lakh service offerings. 

https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=Govt-e-Marketplace-achieves-Gross-Merchandise-Value-of-Rs-1.5-lakh-crore-in-current-fiscal&id=455121