Lucknow, September 15: The impact of the Yogi government's policies on ease of doing business, MSME promotion and linking local entrepreneurs with government procurement is now visible on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) as well. The participation of Uttar Pradesh traders in the government procurement system is continuously increasing. In the financial year 2025-26, the total number of firms registered on GeM in the state increased to 7,86,687. This is 15 percent higher than the 6,85,488 firms recorded on March 31, 2025. In other words, 1,01,199 new firms joined GeM in one year.
The growing presence of traders on this digital government procurement platform is an important indicator of efforts to provide market access to small enterprises, women entrepreneurs, and businesses belonging to socially disadvantaged sections in the state. The data show that along with total registrations, participation by MSE, women, SC-ST and startup firms has also increased rapidly.
The registration of Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) firms from Uttar Pradesh on GeM increased from 1,06,855 on March 31, 2025 to 1,23,075 on March 31, 2026. An increase of 16,220 firms was recorded in this category, representing 16 percent growth. This indicates that small enterprises in the state are making greater use of the digital marketplace available for government procurement. Under the Yogi government's MSME-focused policies, emphasis is being placed on encouraging small businesses, expanding business opportunities, and making their access to the government procurement process easier. The increase in GeM registrations reflects growing participation in this direction.
The participation of women entrepreneurs in the government procurement system has also increased rapidly. On March 31, 2025, a total of 19,418 women-owned firms were registered on GeM. Their number increased to 23,407 by March 31, 2026. An addition of 3,989 women-owned firms was recorded in one year. Thus, registrations of women-owned firms increased by 21 percent. This increase is significant in terms of efforts to promote women entrepreneurship in the state and connect women with economic activities. The growing participation of women in government procurement provides them with an opportunity to gain access to a wider market for their products and services.
A notable increase has also been recorded in the number of firms belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories on GeM. As of March 31, 2025, a total of 4,890 SC/ST firms were registered. By March 31, 2026, this number had increased to 5,783. An increase of 893 firms was recorded in this category, representing 18 percent growth. The increasing participation of these categories on the digital government procurement platform is important from the perspective of inclusive business opportunities. It provides small enterprises with an opportunity to supply products and services to government institutions.
The growing dynamism of the state's startup ecosystem is also reflected in GeM data. A total of 4,404 startup firms were registered on March 31, 2025, which increased to 5,350 by March 31, 2026. An addition of 946 startup firms was recorded in one year. This category registered a growth of 21 percent. The growing presence of startup firms indicates that new enterprises are moving forward in providing their innovations, technological solutions, and services to government institutions. This figure is significant amid the government's priorities of promoting investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the state.
Krishna Murari, State Nodal Officer and Deputy CEO of GeM in Uttar Pradesh, said, “Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state government's procurement policy is creating new opportunities for small and local entrepreneurs. The Uttar Pradesh GeM Procurement Policy-2024 has proved to be a boon for small entrepreneurs. Through this policy, the government procurement process has been made more transparent and competitive, while small entrepreneurs are also receiving better opportunities to participate in government procurement. The usefulness of this system adopted by Uttar Pradesh is now visible on a wider scale and is being adopted in other parts of the country as well.”
He added, “The policy clearly reflects the Yogi government's intent to strengthen the state's economy by giving equal emphasis to advancing small and local entrepreneurs alongside large industries. The increase in the number of total firms as well as MSE, women, SC-ST, and startup firms in Uttar Pradesh indicates that participation by diverse business groups in the government procurement system is increasing.”
UP's growing participation on GeM at a glance
Category | Total Sellers - 31 March 2025 | Total Sellers - 31 March 2026 | Growth
Total Registered Firms | 6,85,488 | 7,86,687 | 15%
Total MSE Firms | 1,06,855 | 1,23,075 | 16%
Total Women-owned Firms | 19,418 | 23,407 | 21%
Total SC/ST Firms | 4,890 | 5,783 | 18%
Total Startup Firms | 4,404 | 5,350 | 21%
