No foreign bidders on GeM yet, govt asks buyers to float relevant tenders

THE Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has not received a single bid from a foreign supplier, months after introducing the Global Tender Enquiry (GTE) functionality and a multi-currency payment system on the portal, according to officials familiar with the matter.

- PUSHPITA DEY

Officials said the key reason is that government departments and public sector undertakings (PSUs) have not floated relevant global tenders on the platform that would attract overseas participation. GeM has now started nudging buyers to issue such tenders through the portal.

“There has not been a single foreign bidder yet. For bidders to participate, buyers first need to issue GTEs for products or services where foreign suppliers are eligible. So far, no such GTE has been floated on GeM,” an official aware of the development said.