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Why sellers register on GeM
GeM is where the central government buys. Under Rule 149 of the General Financial Rules, buying through GeM is mandatory for ministries and departments whenever the goods or service is available on it. How an order reaches a seller depends on its value:
| Order value | How the buyer chooses |
|---|---|
| Up to ₹50,000 | Direct purchase from any seller meeting the quality, specification and delivery period |
| ₹50,000 to ₹10 lakh | The lowest-priced seller among at least three different manufacturers — or a bid or reverse auction |
| Above ₹10 lakh | A bid or reverse auction on GeM is mandatory |
Scientific ministries and departments have higher limits: direct purchase up to ₹1 lakh. In practice, small orders reward a strong catalogue and price; larger ones reward watching bids closely.
Who can register
Any Indian business with a PAN can register — a proprietorship, partnership, LLP, company, trust, society or government entity. An individual registers as a proprietorship.
One person, the primary user, creates the account. GeM’s terms say this must be a director, partner or proprietor. The primary user can add secondary users later, but stays accountable for everything done on the account.
One registration covers both goods and services.
What you need before you start
| You’ll need | Why |
|---|---|
| Aadhaar or personal PAN of the primary user | To verify the person registering, by OTP |
| Business PAN | Every business detail is checked against the Income Tax record |
| Email address and mobile number | Both are verified by OTP |
| CIN (companies only) | Business details are fetched from the MCA21 register |
| Registered office address | Verified along with your GST details, if any |
| A bank account in the business’s name | It must be PFMS-verified and set as primary — payments go here |
| Income-tax returns for the last 3 years | Needed to take part in bids and reverse auctions (not for direct-purchase selling). Not required if the business is under 24 months old or exempt from filing |
| Udyam registration (optional) | Unlocks micro and small enterprise benefits, such as EMD exemption |
| DPIIT recognition (optional) | Unlocks startup benefits |
| GSTIN (optional to register) | Needed to bid if your turnover is above the GST threshold |
Names must match exactly. GeM validates your details in real time against PAN, MCA21, Udyam and GSTN — and where they disagree, the Income Tax record wins. Your business name, constitution type and PAN must be identical across PAN and Udyam, or validation fails.
Step 1: create the account
- Go to gem.gov.in, choose Login → Sign up, and select Seller / Service Provider.
- Choose your business type and confirm you have the prerequisites ready.
- Accept the terms and enter your organisation’s name.
- Verify yourself — by Aadhaar OTP, or by PAN with your name, date of birth and a mobile OTP.
- Fill in your personal details and declare yourself the key person.
- Verify your email by OTP, then create your user ID and password.
Step 2: complete your seller profile
The account alone doesn’t let you sell. From your dashboard, complete the profile:
- Business PAN — validated against the Income Tax database.
- Business details — fetched via your CIN if you’re a company.
- Additional details — your Udyam number and DPIIT recognition, if you have them.
- Office address — with GST details and an email OTP.
- Key person validation — for companies and firms, the person’s Aadhaar name is matched with the signatory on your tax returns.
- Bank account — verified through PFMS and marked primary.
- E-invoice declaration.
- Tax details and income-tax returns — required before you can bid.
What selling on GeM costs
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Registration | Free |
| Caution money | Abolished in 2025 for all sellers, whatever their turnover |
| Catalogue and brand approval | Free |
| Transaction charge — order up to ₹10 lakh | Nil |
| Transaction charge — above ₹10 lakh and under ₹10 crore | 0.30% of the order value |
| Transaction charge — ₹10 crore and above | A flat ₹3 lakh |
| Annual milestone charge | ₹10,000 + GST, once your order value in a financial year reaches ₹20 lakh |
| Vendor assessment (OEMs) | ₹871.61, ₹1,743.22 or ₹3,486.44 + GST, depending on turnover |
Figures are from GeM’s Revenue Policy v1.6 and Vendor Validation Policy v5.0. The annual milestone charge is the one most guides miss.
OEM or reseller: vendor assessment
If you manufacture what you sell (an OEM), GeM requires a vendor assessment before you can run an OEM dashboard. For resellers it is optional, and sellers with turnover above ₹500 crore must also apply.
- It is run online by RITES in two stages: a document check, then a video assessment. A physical visit is possible in some cases.
- A report is valid for 3 years, or until your earliest compliance document expires. One application can cover up to 40 categories.
- You can be exempt if you hold a BIS licence, a drug or medical-device licence, or a CMVR certificate, or if you’re a specified government entity or an OEM recommended by a buyer organisation.
Listing products and services
- Brands can be registered (with a trademark certificate), unregistered (with a notarised undertaking) or unbranded. Brand approval takes about 4 working days.
- Some categories are restricted. In certain categories only OEMs can list; in others, only OEMs and their authorised resellers.
- Products get rejected for a model number that can’t be verified on the OEM’s site, the wrong category, an implausible price, wrong images, or specifications forced to fit. A rejected request can’t be resubmitted — you create a fresh one.
Staying active on GeM
Your account isn’t set-and-forget:
- Keep your data current. If your details later conflict with the government databases, the account is suspended automatically. Changes must be updated within 7 days.
- Your rating matters. Buyers see a vendor rating built from reliability, delivery quality, catalogue coverage, timeliness and incident history.
- Incidents escalate. A complaint can lead to a show-cause notice, then suspension or debarment. Action against a proprietor can extend to every business under the same PAN.
Questions
Is GeM registration free?
Yes. GeM charges nothing to register as a seller, and catalogue approval is free. Costs come later: a transaction charge on larger orders, an annual milestone charge once your orders pass ₹20 lakh in a financial year, and a vendor assessment fee if you are an OEM.
Do I still have to pay caution money on GeM?
No. GeM eliminated caution money in 2025 — its terms and conditions now say sellers are exempted irrespective of turnover. If you paid caution money earlier, you can withdraw it from your dashboard under Manage Caution Money Account, once a verified bank account is in place.
Is Aadhaar mandatory for GeM registration?
No. The person registering can verify with Aadhaar (or a Virtual ID) by OTP, or with their personal PAN — PAN number, name and date of birth, plus a mobile OTP.
Do I need GST registration to sell on GeM?
Not to register. Without a GSTIN you can still receive direct-purchase orders, but if your turnover is above the GST threshold you must add a GSTIN to take part in bids.
Do I need a digital signature (DSC) on GeM?
No. On GeM you can sign bids, contracts and invoices with an OTP, Aadhaar-based eSign or a DSC. GeM has said OTP signing is temporary, so eSign — free, using PAN or Aadhaar — is the safer default.
Can one registration cover both products and services?
Yes. A single GeM seller registration covers goods and services.
Sources
- Seller FAQs — Government e-Marketplace
- Seller introduction and registration using Aadhaar and PAN — GeM training material
- Seller profile updation — GeM training material
- GeM General Terms and Conditions, v1.29 (25 March 2026)
- GeM Revenue Policy v1.6 — transaction charges (effective 26 August 2025)
- GeM Vendor Validation Policy v5.0
- Caution money withdrawal — GeM
- PIB: GeM eliminates caution money for sellers (8 August 2025)
- General Financial Rules 2017, Rule 149 — Department of Expenditure (updated to 31 January 2026)
This guide explains the rules in plain English; it isn’t legal advice. Procurement rules change, and each tender document sets its own conditions — it always prevails.