By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Launched on Jan 14, 2019, Womaniya was conceived to address the limited access of women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to government markets.
By providing a direct, transparent and fully digital interface with government buyers, the initiative eliminated intermediaries and reduced entry barriers that had historically constrained participation. Over the years, Womaniya has evolved from an access-enabling platform into a national ecosystem of opportunity.
Seven years on, the impact of the initiative is evident. As of 14 January 2026, more than two lakh women-led MSEs are registered on the GeM portal.
Collectively, these enterprises have secured public procurement orders exceeding ₹80,000 crore, accounting for 4.7 per cent of GeM’s total order value, significantly surpassing the mandated three per cent procurement target for women-owned and women-led enterprises.
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) marked seven years of the Womaniya initiative, its flagship programme aimed at strengthening the participation of women-led Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in public procurement. The commemorative event was held at Jeevan Bharti Building, New Delhi on Thursday.
The event brought together policymakers, multilateral institutions and ecosystem partners to reflect on this journey. Addresses were delivered by Joint Secretary (SME), Ministry of MSME, Mercy Epao; Chief of Staff, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, Radhika Kaul Batra; and Country Programme Manager, UN Women India, Suhela Khan.
The speakers highlighted the importance of institutional access, capability building and sustained policy support in advancing women’s economic participation, and underscored the need for promoting gender-responsive public procurement.