Defence purchases via GeM surpasse Rs 1 lakh cr
MoD executes over 5.47 lakh orders comprising items like eggs to missile systems and critical defence acquisitions
New Delhi: Procurement of goods and services by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) through public buying platform GeM has crossed Rs1 lakh crore, with about half of it coming in the current financial year.
The Government e-Market (GeM) portal was launched on August 9, 2016, for online purchases of goods and services by all central government ministries and departments.
“From procurement of general store items like eggs to missile systems and critical defence acquisitions, GeM has helped MoD execute more than 5.47 lakh orders. Of this, transactions worth around Rs45,800 crore have been awarded in the current financial year,” a commerce ministry statement said on Wednesday.
“It said the defence ministry is the first central government entity to cross this figure, exemplifying its resolute commitment towards optimising public spending in the Defence sector,” GeM Chief Executive Officer PK Singh said.
He added that around 50.7 per cent of the total orders, amounting to Rs 60,593 crore, have been awarded to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) by the Defence ministry entities, including defence-related public sector enterprises.
“Since its (GeM) inception, the ministry has been an early adopter of GeM... The ministry has made an astounding accomplishment by surpassing the Rs1 lakh crore mark in terms of total order value transacted through the GeM portal,” he said.
Furthermore, the engagement of Defence PSUs on the GeM platform has not only facilitated procurement but has also facilitated sales.
