GeM Portal Account Registration: Everything You Need to Know

The Government e-Marketplace or GeM is a unified digital portal for public procurement in India. All government bodies, including central, state, local departments and ministries, as well as PSUs (public sector undertakings), must use this portal to procure goods and services.

The GeM portal provides a level-playing field for sellers while ensuring transparency and cost-savings for public institutions. It’s designed with the needs of MSMEs, startups and resellers in mind, combining the advantages of a user-friendly platform with advanced dashboards and rating systems.

Before registering on the GeM portal, it’s important for both buyers and sellers to know the prerequisites. These are as follows:

Prerequisites for Sellers on GeM

• Any registered business with a valid proof of ownership can sign up on the GeM Portal.

• Only authorised persons, such as owners, directors or persons authorised by them, can open a primary user (HoD) account on the GeM portal. Their personal verification documents, like PAN and Aadhaar, are mandatory for registration.

• For OTP (one-time password) verification, you need to have the authorised person’s Aadhaar-linked or PAN-linked mobile number and official email address (company or personal email).

• Business registration/incorporation certificates are required for the date of incorporation, the owner/director’s name, organisation type and other details.

• Company bank account documents are needed for the bank name, address, account number and IFSC code.

Prerequisites for Buyers on GeM

• Only certain institutions/agencies can carry out GeM portal registration as a buyer, including central/state/local government ministries and departments, subordinate departments, PSUs, semi-government institutions and statutory bodies.

  • Three things are mandatory to register a buyer’s account:

  • The user’s Aadhaar card

  • An Aadhaar-linked mobile number to get OTPs

• A government email ID

• Only users who have an email address hosted by NIC (National Informatics Centre) can directly open a buyer’s account on the GeM portal. Others have to apply for a GeM buyer’s ID to register.

• To open a new buyer’s account, you need to register as a primary user. To do this, provide details of the verifying authority (name, mobile, email, etc.) and get approval via an email sent to them.

Buyers and sellers on the GeM portal have different documentation requirements. Given below is a list of commonly required documents:

Documents Required by GeM Sellers

• Personal PAN cards or Aadhaar cards of owners and partners with linked mobile numbers

• PAN card of the proprietorship, partnership, company, trust or society

• Company incorporation certificate with details such as date of incorporation, organisation type, CIF number, etc.

• DIPP certificate (for startups), Udyam registration number (for MSMEs), and LLP agreement (for limited liability companies)

• ITR (Income Tax Return) form and acknowledgement for the previous three years

• Business address proof with registered office address and email ID

• Cancelled cheque or bank statement containing the company account details

• GST registration certificate (for GSTIN)

Documents Required by GeM Buyers

• PAN card of the government agency

• Aadhaar or PAN of the user with their linked mobile number

• Official department ID/communication (with .gov or .nic email ID)

• Authorisation letter for the signatory

• Cancelled cheque or statement of the department’s bank account

• Office address proof of the government department/ministry

Follow the given simple instructions to create a new primary seller’s account on the GeM portal:

Step 1: Go to the official GeM (Government e-marketplace) portal and click on ‘Sign Up’ to start the registration process.

Step 2: Select ‘Seller/Service Provider’ in the dropdown menu. This will open the prerequisite page, which you need to go through and get all the required details/documents.

Step 3: Select your organisation category (firm, company, proprietorship, trust, society, association or government). Go through each requirement and click its respective checkbox.

Step 4: Read through the full ‘Terms and Conditions’ list and check the agreement before clicking ‘Proceed’.

Step 5: Next, you are required to enter your organisation’s details. Enter and re-enter your company name and verify your identity via PAN or Aadhaar and OTP.

Step 6: Provide your personal or business email and verify using OTP. After verifying your email, enter a unique username and password for your GeM credentials. Finally, click on ‘Create Account’.

Step 7: Once your GeM portal registration is completed, you will be redirected to the seller homepage, where you have to complete your profile. Then, click on ‘My Account’ in the top right.

Step 8: Enter your business details like company/firm/LLP/proprietorship PAN, date of incorporation/registration, CIN (for private limited/public companies), ITR, bank details and billing information.

Step 9: Answer the Yes/No questions on the next page and click on ‘Save’. After that, update/add your business office details and enter the GSTIN if your business has over ₹40 crore in yearly turnover. Verify using OTP to submit.

Step 10: Verify company details, including the names of key persons such as directors and shareholders (for companies/firms). Then, check and update your company’s bank account details.

Step 11: Enter your business’s previous year’s turnover and answer whether your company is excluded from the special e-invoicing category.

Step 12: Click on ‘Add New Assessment’ and enter your previous ITR details. In the next pages, you have to check and update your account settings, including your Aadhaar number, mobile number, email address and password. When done, click on ‘Close Account’ to finalise your seller account.

Follow the given steps to register a new buyer’s account as a primary user or HoD:

Step 1: Go to the official GeM portal and click on ‘Sign Up’ on the top right, followed by ‘Buyer Organisation’.

Step 2: Select ‘Primary User (HoD) as the user type and click to check all mandatory checkboxes under ‘Prerequisites’. Then, click on ‘Proceed’.

Step 3: Read through the full ‘Terms and Conditions’ document and select the agreement checkbox.

Step 4: Enter your organisation’s name, department, ministry and other important information and click on ‘Next’.

Step 5: Verify your Aadhaar details by entering your Aadhaar number, linked mobile number and OTP. After successful verification, go to the next page and verify your government email.

Step 6: Create a unique user ID as per your department and a password as per the stated rules. Next, click on ‘Create Account’.

Step 7: Start the profile updation process by clicking on ‘Start Here’ and filling in the relevant details. This will include:

• Organisation address (street address, district, state, phone number, etc.)

• Payment method (PFMS, Challan, non-Challan or others)

• Personal information (name, designation, organisation PAN, etc.)

• Verifying authority details (name, mobile, email, etc.)

Once you have entered all necessary details, your GeM portal registration request will go to the respective verifying authority’s email address. If this request is not rejected within 48 hours, your primary user (HoD) profile will be created.

The GeM portal offers a one-stop shop for government buyers and endless lucrative opportunities for sellers. Here are some of the top features and benefits of using this platform:

• User-friendly Interface: The Gem portal offers a single-window interface with a dashboard for easy navigation, catalogue management and order tracking.

• Wide Range of Offerings: Government buyers may require anything from common household items to industrial machines and stationery goods. It’s easy for buyers to find bulk orders due to the highly organised listings.

• Direct Purchase Orders: Buyers can directly purchase lower-value items without having to go through a bidding process. Businesses get the advantage of directly dealing with their customers without the involvement of an intermediary.

• Transparent and Fair Processes: Government institutions have to follow various rules, like L1-based selection and open bidding processes, ensuring a level playing field for all sellers. Any registered business can compete for government tenders.

• Assured and Timely Payments: The PFMS (Public Financial Management System) ensures timely payment for all vendors without the need for follow-ups. All payments are digital, ensuring ease and convenience for all parties.

• Vendor Rating System: A strong and transparent rating system ensures that sellers with good track records get lucrative contracts. The rating system considers four factors- product/service coverage, punctuality, quality and reliability.

• Advanced Bidding Systems: Sellers can take part in open bidding, custom bidding and reverse auctions and find lucrative opportunities by playing to their strengths.

• Real-time Tracking: The GeM portal allows real-time tracking of supplies, payments, messages and requests. It also features advanced analytics for both buyers and sellers.

Here are some common mistakes that sellers tend to make while registering on the GeM Portal and their solutions:

Mistake: Entering wrong data while typing in their PAN, GSTIN, CIN or bank details.

Solution: Keeping a master sheet for all updated details, hiring a data entry specialist.

Mistake: Mismatch in details in uploaded documents, such as ITR or company registration certificates.

Solution: Cross-checking details across documents, applying for corrections before registering.

Mistake: Poorly building product/service catalogues on the GeM portal.

Solution: Reviewing the catalogue structure carefully and using high-quality descriptions, keywords and images.

Mistake: Lacking relevant experience and certificates .

Solution: Carefully checking the prerequisites in contracts and making sure to have the required certificates in hand.

Mistake: Non-compliance with technical evaluation.

Solution: Employing dedicated and qualified experts, uploading all required specifications and staying ready for audits.

Registering on the GeM portal provides businesses with direct access to some of the largest institutional buyers in India, unlocking high-volume orders, long-term contracts and a good way to build a reputation. Reading through our detailed guide on how to do registration on the GeM portal will help you understand all the requirements, ensuring your application doesn’t face rejection.

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