GeM Portal OEM & Brand Registration Guide

There are a variety of sellers who can register on the GeM portal, including the following categories:

• Manufacturers:- Manufacturers or OEMs that produce their products in-house can register on the GeM portal to sell directly to the government. Only whitelisted companies with a valid trademark certificate can register as an OEM.

• Brand Owners:- Companies that own their own brand with a registered trademark can sell their products without requiring an OEM licence.

• Authorised Distributors and Resellers:- This category includes resellers and distributors authorised by the brand. Both the OEM and authorised reseller can upload and list their products as a catalogue on the GeM portal.

• **Resellers:- ** Third-party resellers and distributors don’t require prior approvals from the parent brand to sell their products. They can sell only certain preexisting products whose catalogues have already been uploaded by the OEM.

• Self-help Groups:- This includes small and micro businesses without registered trademarks. Self-help groups can act as both resellers and sellers of unbranded and local products.

An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is a seller that owns a brand and manufactures products under the brand in their own facilities. OEMs hold trademark and other intellectual property rights (IPR) related to the product and exclusive rights to decide how it’s distributed.

At Government e-Marketplace, companies can register as OEMs and gain rights to manage their brand, create catalogues and control how they are displayed to buyers. Brands must register as an OEM on the GeM portal and go through the vendor assessment process to gain an OEM certification and exclusive rights.

There are three categories of OEMs under which brands can register on the GeM portal:

• Owner of a Registered Trademark of a Brand: Brand owners with registered trademarks need to upload specific documents, such as a trademark certificate and other evidence that confirms ownership.

• Owner of a Brand with No Registered Trademark: In this case, the brand owner can apply for a new trademark registration from the GeM portal while opening a new account.

• Sellers That Do Not Own Any Brand: Non-branded resellers can also apply for an OEM dashboard to sell products of other registered brands. After applying, a request is sent to the brand for approval.

Here are some of the advantages of registering as an OEM on the GeM portal:

• Exclusive Brand Control: OEMs that register on the GeM portal can better control their listings, grant/deny reseller requests and prevent unauthorised access to their products. They can also get rid of counterfeit and fake products.

• Access to Lucrative Deals: Government buyers tend to prioritise OEMs for better quality and authentic products. The buyers can directly purchase from the brand owners without the need for a third party.

• Improved Trust and Credibility: OEM-verified sellers get priority in L1 bids and reverse auctions. A verified profile provides assurance, trust and reliability, which helps in securing government contracts.

• Access to OEM Dashboard: The OEM dashboard allows brand owners to manage reseller approvals, check and edit catalogue listings and ban unauthorised sellers via a single window.

• Ensures Consistent Pricing: OEMs can check listings on the portal uploaded by resellers. Then, they can ask for more consistent pricing across sellers.

• Opportunities for MSMEs: Startups, micro and small businesses can upload new brands and products and gain equal opportunities as large companies.

Before registering as an OEM on the GeM portal, brands should know the prerequisites and guidelines. Here are the details:

• Eligible Companies: Only manufacturers, brand owners, exclusive importers and experienced service providers can register as an OEM. OEM registration also carries certain minimum requirements.

• Vendor Assessment: All manufacturers (OEMs), other than companies with an annual turnover of over ₹500 crore, need to complete the vendor assessment (VA). Sellers can get a VA registration within 15 days by filing the respective form on the GeM portal and paying the assessment fee.

• Trademark Ownership: To register as an OEM, brands need to have complete trademark ownership. Registered brands must upload a trademark registration certificate, while unregistered brands must upload an attested, notarised, signed and stamped undertaking.

• Minimum Requirements: OEMs must fulfil these requirements:

  • Registered office in India for 15 years and presence for 10 years

  • 24*7 after-sales support and communication via email, phone and fax

  • A net worth of ₹4 crore in the previous financial year and an average turnover of ₹5 crore over the previous three financial years

• ISO 9001: 2015 certification

• Mandatory Requirements: To create a seller account, OEMs must submit their business PAN and Aadhaar numbers, Aadhaar-linked mobile numbers and email IDs of authorised persons.

Here are the necessary documents to register as an OEM in the GeM portal:

• PAN card of the business entity

• Aadhaar card of key authorised personnel

• Trademark registration certificate

• Company registration certificate

• CA certificate, audited balance sheet and profit & loss account (for verifying turnover, net worth)

• Quality certification documents (ISO, BIS, etc.)

• Letter of authorisation and agreement with OEM (for system integrators)

• Experience certificate (for server and data storage service providers)

• Vendor assessment exemption certificate (for exempt OEMs)

• Deemed OEM letter (for importers with exclusive rights)

• Bank account and office address proof

You can apply for a new brand if you already have a seller account on the GeM portal while uploading a product catalogue. Here is the process:

Step 1: Sign in using your GeM user ID and password and enter the required captcha code.

Step 2: On the dashboard, click on ‘Catalogue’, ‘Products’, and then ‘Add New Offering’.

Step 3: Enter the name of your product and select your product name as it appears on the screen. You can add a new product category by clicking on the link for new category creation/updation.

Step 4: Go to the link ‘Click Here to Add’ under the brand name to add your existing brand. On the next page, you will see the ‘Document Guidelines’, which you should check thoroughly.

Step 5: You will see three OEM registration options. Choose either ‘brand with registered trademark’ or ‘brand owner without a registered trademark’ to get approval for your brand. Select ‘Yes’ to get an OEM dashboard.

Step 6: Mention your brand’s website and upload the documents required to prove your brand ownership rights (trademark certificate, govt. order copy). If you have an unregistered brand, you also need to upload a notarised copy of an undertaking.

Step 7: Read the declarations and click the respective checkboxes to sign them. Click on ‘OK’ in the next dialogue box to submit your request. You can check your brand approval status in the ‘Brand/OEM Requests’ option under the ‘Published’ tab on your dashboard.

Follow the given steps to register as an OEM and apply for the OEM dashboard on the GeM portal:

• Step 1: Sign in on the official GeM portal by entering your user ID, password and captcha code as shown in the screen.

• Step 2: Go to ‘My Account’ in the dashboard and then select ‘OEM Panel’ under the ‘My Actions’ menu.

• Step 3: Select the category under which your OEM brand falls and the respective subcategories. If your brand name is already registered, you can choose it from the ‘Select Brand’ dropdown menu.

• Step 4: Select your brand name again if it’s a preexisting brand or select ‘Brand New’. Then, click on ‘Confirm’ and then ‘Proceed’ on the dialogue box to register a new brand.

• Step 5: Confirm whether you want to register as an OEM on the GeM portal and read through the responsibilities and prerequisites. Then, enter the required details and upload the required documents, including the trademark certificate.

• Step 6: Read through the undertaking declaration and click on the checkbox to sign it. Finally, click on ‘Apply for Brand and OEM’.

Go to ‘Published’ and then ‘Brand/OEM Requests’ in the dashboard to track your application status. Click on ‘View’ to check additional status details and respond promptly to any GeM admin requests to finalise your OEM request.

Before registering as an OEM on the GeM portal, here are some important facts you should know:

• If the ‘OEM Panel’ option is not visible, either you don’t have a complete profile, or you haven’t completed the vendor assessment process.

• If your organisation is exempt from vendor assessment (VA), you need to upload your exemption certificate and ensure that your previous three years’ tax records are present on your profile.

• Sellers cannot apply with a vendor assessment exemption (VAE) certificate along with a deemed OEM certificate or brand authorisation letter. Only verified manufacturers can apply as an OEM.

• You cannot immediately upload unbranded and unregistered products to a catalogue on the GeM portal. You need to wait till the product approval team reviews and verifies your request.

• You have the option to opt for priority processing when requesting OEM approval. This reduces the approval time and allows you to participate in bidding as the admins process your request.

• When uploading a product catalogue, OEMs need to select ‘OEM’ in the seller category and furnish certain details. This includes the product FSSAI number, country of origin, MII (Make in India) declaration, local content percentage, etc.

• OEM startups need to enter their DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) registration number and the linked mobile number. OEM MSEs (micro and small enterprises) need to enter the Udyam registration number and its linked mobile number.

OEM and brand registration on the GeM portal is essential for companies looking to expand in the public sector and protect their intellectual property rights. Go through this detailed guide on how to register an OEM in the GeM portal to make sure you’re fully informed. Get all the necessary trademark documents ready and register your brand beforehand for a seamless process.

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