Raipur

Chhattisgarh has received the 'GeM Sustainable Procurement Award' for effective use of the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and a significant increase in government procurement through the platform, officials said on Tuesday.

The award was presented on Monday evening at an event in New Delhi marking the 10th anniversary of GeM, in the presence of Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, a state government statement said.

Delighted to felicitate the distinguished Buyers and Sellers of the @GeM_India platform during the Foundation Day celebrations marking #10YearsOfGeM.

At the function, I also launched the customised My Stamp, 5-digit Short Code, and the GeM booklet to mark the milestone.

In my… pic.twitter.com/CKSWCnuekz

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) August 10, 2026

Chhattisgarh received the honour under the 'Premier Awards - State Government Felicitation' category for effective utilisation of GeM.

The state government saved Rs 130 crore during the financial year 2025-26 due to transparent and competitive bidding on the GeM platform, the release said.

The savings were achieved through the difference between the estimated cost of procurement by departments and the actual market price obtained through open competitive bidding, it said.

Over the past three financial years, the state government has saved a total of Rs 235 crore through competitive procurement, it said.

Government procurement through GeM in Chhattisgarh rose to Rs 3,935 crore in 2025-26, registering a 113 per cent increase over the previous financial year, it said.

The increase was made possible by efforts to bring procurement by government departments, corporations and local bodies onto a common and transparent digital platform, it said.

Procurement from micro and small enterprises (MSEs) increased by 61 per cent to Rs 1,800 crore in 2025-26, significantly exceeding the mandated 25 per cent MSE procurement target, it said.

Procurement from women entrepreneurs increased by 97 per cent, while purchases from entrepreneurs belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes rose by 108 per cent.

Procurement from startups recorded the highest growth of 178 per cent, the statement added.

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Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai welcomed the achievement and said GeM has provided entrepreneurs in Chhattisgarh with a platform to directly connect with government demand and markets without intermediaries.

The increased participation of women entrepreneurs, SC/ST entrepreneurs and startups reflects the success of the transparent procurement system, he said.