Key Highlights
- SWAYATT has expanded from 3,400 to over 29,000 registered startups, generating procurement orders worth ₹35,950 crore.
- Women‑led micro and small enterprises now account for 8% of all sellers on GeM, with 1,77,786 Udyam‑verified firms contributing ₹46,615 crore.
- A strategic MoU with FICCI‑FLO links more than 9,500 women entrepreneurs directly to government buyers.
- Dedicated digital storefronts – “Startup Runway” and “Womaniya” – boost visibility for nascent and women‑run businesses.
- Future targets include onboarding 100,000 DPIIT‑registered startups and doubling the share of women sellers beyond the current 3.78% of national procurement.
Detailed Insights
The Government e‑Marketplace (GeM) inaugurated the SWAYATT (Startups, Women & Youth Advantage through e‑Transactions) scheme on 19 February 2019 with the explicit aim of widening public‑procurement participation for traditionally marginalised groups. Over the ensuing six years, the initiative has pursued three intertwined objectives: (1) simplifying registration and transaction processes for last‑mile sellers, (2) delivering capacity‑building programmes that equip entrepreneurs with procurement‑savvy, and (3) forging institutional partnerships that open direct channels to government buyers.
Training modules and on‑boarding drives have primarily targeted women‑led micro‑ and small‑enterprises (MSEs) and self‑help groups (SHGs). The partnership signed on the sixth anniversary with the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FICCI‑FLO) formalises a conduit for more than 9,500 women entrepreneurs, enabling them to pitch products directly to ministries and state agencies. This collaboration is expected to catalyse regional job creation and reduce dependency on intermediaries.
Startup participation has surged dramatically; the platform now hosts upwards of 29,000 startups whose cumulative order value exceeds ₹35,950 crore. Parallelly, women‑owned MSEs have grown to 1,77,786 Udyam‑verified entities, contributing ₹46,615 crore, which lifts their share of the total seller base to 8%. Specialized storefronts—“Startup Runway” for innovative ventures and “Womaniya” for women‑run firms—provide curated visibility, improving match‑making efficiency between suppliers and government demand.
Looking ahead, GeM has articulated an ambitious expansion road‑map: onboarding one lakh DPIIT‑registered startups, doubling the count of women entrepreneurs, and pushing the proportion of procurement value captured by women‑led firms beyond the present 3.78%. Achieving these goals will require sustained digital literacy programmes, deeper data‑analytics integration, and continued policy alignment with the broader social‑inclusion agenda.
Key Concepts
- SWAYATT: An initiative under GeM designed to promote startups, women‑led businesses, and youth participation in government procurement through streamlined e‑transactions.
- DPIIT‑registered startup: A firm recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, qualifying for preferential treatment in public‑sector sourcing.
- Udyam registration: The official Indian government portal for certifying micro, small and medium enterprises, granting them eligibility for various schemes.
- FICCI‑FLO: The women‑entrepreneurial wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, acting as a bridge between female business owners and large‑scale procurement opportunities.
- Dedicated storefronts (Startup Runway & Womaniya): Curated digital marketplaces within GeM that enhance discoverability for targeted entrepreneur cohorts.