GeM CEO Warns Against Anomalies in Procurement, Stresses Preventive Vigilance

Mihir Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), today cautioned buyers and sellers on the platform against indulging in anomalies. He said this as a part of the public procurement platform's Vigilance Awareness Week observation, focusing on educating buyers and sellers on the dos and don'ts of public procurement to ensure transparency and compliance with rules.

Kumar noted that the initiative aims to handhold stakeholders and raise awareness about how procurement under government rules differs from discretionary private purchases. "Government procurement is policy-based, rule-based. It is very important that you are aware of the rules," he added.

The campaign is designed as a comprehensive awareness and educational initiative for buyers to adopt best practices, comply with rules and leverage GeM’s in-built safeguards. For sellers--particularly last-mile entrepreneurs, start-ups and MSMEs from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities--to explore safe, compliant and transparent opportunities on GeM.

Addressing the distinction between genuine and deliberate errors, Kumar noted that a bona fide mistake can be excused, but not a mala fide one. "Many times, in the absence of information, people try to colour a bona fide mistake as a mala fide mistake. To avoid this, we will be releasing a series of dos and don'ts," he highlighted.

He emphasised that the exercise would centre on preventive vigilance. “Preventive vigilance means addressing issues before they occur. Once a lapse takes place, it requires investigation, which, depending on its severity, could lead to a departmental inquiry or even a criminal probe,” he explained.

Kumar also noted that GeM is working with states to align procurement rules with central processes. He stated Uttar Pradesh has already aligned with the GeM procurement process and Assam is next in line.

The GeM has capped its ninth year with a record ₹5.42 lakh crore in procurement in FY 2024–25, cementing its position as one of the largest public e-procurement platforms globally. Launched in August 2016 as a one-stop digital procurement portal for government buyers, GeM has grown into one of the world’s largest public e-procurement platforms, just behind South Korea's KONEPS and the US' GSA.