The Union government's procurement platform, Government e-Marketplace, has enabled global tender participation and multi-currency bidding, marking a shift from a purely domestic, rupee-based system to a more open procurement marketplace.
The rollout of Global Tender Enquiry allows international sellers to bid for government contracts, while multi-currency support expands participation beyond Indian vendors. The move gains significance as several of India's free trade agreements are set to come into force this year, potentially increasing cross-border participation in public procurement and deepening market access.
Alongside this expansion, GeM is strengthening its anti-fraud and monitoring architecture, with a sharp focus on ensuring integrity in procurement.
The platform is using AI and machine learning tools to flag irregularities such as suspected buyer-seller collusion, cartelisation among sellers, order splitting to bypass norms, and abnormal price behaviour. It also tracks patterns like technical rejection misuse and intentional product misclassification to eliminate competitors.
Data shows the scale of these interventions. Over 19 lakh product catalogues have been reviewed, with around 91,000 erroneous listings identified and removed. Authorities have flagged over 10,500 cases of suspected anomalous procurement, while 764 cartelisation cases have been detected, leading to the suspension of around 450 sellers.
In addition, price governance tools have reviewed more than 11,000 abnormal pricing cases, with thousands of incorrect listings taken down. AI-led systems have also prevented over 10 lakh instances of incorrect pricing at the listing stage.
These systems are backed by real-time analytics and tools, such as bid health scoring, aimed at improving decision-making and reducing manipulation in the procurement process.
The push comes as GeM crosses a cumulative GMV of Rs 18.4 lakh crore, including over Rs 5 lakh crore in FY26, reflecting its growing role in public procurement.
ALSO READ: India's Growing Minute-Maid Army Can Be A Double-Edged Sword
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
