What is in news : The 5th edition of the National Public Procurement Conclave (NPPC) was recently organized

By: Government e-Marketplace (GeM) (in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry [CII])

 Theme : “Technology enabled Government Procurement – Towards Efficiency, Transparency, and Inclusiveness”

Highlights of the conclave :

• Overview session on GeM
• Discussions ranging from promotion of MSMEs in public procurement to how fintech can enable access to credit for sellers and service providers doing business with the Government
• B2B and B2G meetings between Govt. buyers and sellers
• Digital Exhibition of various products and services by sellers

Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

• GeM is a one-stop National Public Procurement Portal to facilitate online procurement of common use Goods & Services required by various Central and State Government Departments / Organizations /Public Sector Undertakings ( PSUs).
• It was launched in 2016 to bring transparency and efficiency in the government buying process.
• It operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• The procurement of goods and services by Ministries and the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) is mandatory for goods and services available on GeM.
• It also provides the tools of e-bidding and reverse e-auction to facilitate the government users achieve the best value for their money.