The GeM portal's last-mile utilization will be facilitated by India Post offices, GEM

According to Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, around 5.2 lakh Common Service Centres and 1.5 lakh India Post offices situated across India will aid government buyers, sellers, and service providers in the last-mile usage of the GeM portal. They will provide assistance with various functionalities, including buyer-seller registration, managing and uploading product catalogues, accepting and fulfilling orders, and generating invoices. The minister made this statement in response to a parliamentary question today 24 MAR 2023.

GeM aims to offer hyper-local assistance to under-served seller groups such as Women, Khadi, and Tribal entrepreneurs, Micro & Small Enterprises [MSE], Self-Help Groups [SHGs], Farmer Producer Organizations [FPO], Startups, Artisans, Weavers, Divyangjan craftsmen, and bamboo producers. The assistance will be provided through various means, including in-field training and other support services during their onboarding and transaction journeys, with the help of Common Service Centres. GeM endeavors to provide such assistance to these groups.

            i. These under-served seller groups with direct access to Government markets and                            buyers at improved product market prices sans intermediaries, and

            ii. thereby spurring hyper-local job-creation and wealth-generation in rural India.

Last-mile stakeholders such as Local Bodies, Panchayati Raj institutions, among others and under-served seller groups in rural areas and stakeholders’ such as schools, colleges, scientific and technical research institutions, and universities, among others in public procurement will benefit from this joint effort. 

Types of facilities which would be provided by the Department include:

     i. Value-added services such as photography of product images, packaging, logistics and shipment of packages through Speed Post and Business Parcel, through India Post website, online, print and office communication channels will also be delivered to sellers and service providers at charges defined by CSC and Department of Posts. GeM Services offered through Common Service Centres [CSC] will be made available to all Government buyers at no charge.

    ii. Rates for packaging materials and shipment of packages through Speed Post and Business Parcel through India Post website, online, print and office communication channels will be shared with CSCs.

      iii. No Charges will be levied for;

            1. Buyer Registration – for single-state and multi-state Cooperative Societies, and

            2. Seller Registration and Account Updation (with all KYC details)

        iv. Nominal charges to paid by sellers and service providers for:

                1. Product/ Service Catalogue Upload & Management, and

                2. Value-added Services (Packaging & logistics at CSC and India Post)

Pre-requisites for seller registration include;

1. Aadhaar Number/ Virtual ID/ Personal PAN of the User.
2. Mobile number linked with Aadhaar/ Mobile number in case of PAN.
3. Active Email ID.
4. Documents as per Constitution/ Business type such as CIN, PAN, DIPP, Udyam Number, ITR details to complete profile.
5. Address details (Registered Address).
6. Bank account details.