The Government e-Marketplace’s Womaniya initiative is designed to integrate women-led Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) into India’s public procurement system by providing direct digital market access.
Launched in 2019 under the SWAYATT framework, the initiative addresses structural barriers such as limited visibility, restricted buyer access, and dependence on intermediaries. By February 2026, over 10 crore women organised into 90 lakh SHGs form the base of this ecosystem.
In FY 2025–26, women-led MSEs secured 13.7 lakh orders worth ₹28,000 crore, accounting for 5.6% of GeM’s total procurement value, significantly exceeding the 3% mandatory target. This indicates a shift from participation mandates to active market integration, where women producers are increasingly competing within formal procurement systems.
Key Features of the Womaniya Initiative
Direct Digital Interface: Enables women entrepreneurs to list products across categories such as handicrafts, furnishings, and personal care, ensuring direct access to government buyers.
Streamlined Onboarding: Uses Udyam verification and simplified documentation to reduce entry barriers for women-owned enterprises.
Standardised Catalogues: Ensures uniform product listings, enabling transparent comparison and evaluationby buyers.
SWAYATT Integration: Targets inclusion of startups, women, and youth, expanding participation in public procurement.
Timely Payments: Digital workflows ensure faster payment cycles, addressing working capital constraints.
Capacity Building: Training in vernacular languages, cataloguing support, and buyer-seller meets improve seller readiness and competitiveness.
The Economic Footprint (FY 2025–26)
Registered Sellers: Over 2.1 lakh women-led MSEs active on GeM.
Growth Momentum: 27.6% increase in contract value awarded to women compared to the previous year.
Procurement Performance: Women-led enterprises account for 5.6% of total procurement, nearly double the mandated 3% target.
What is “SWAYATT”?
SWAYATT (Startups, Women & Youth Advantage Through e-Transactions) is an umbrella initiative of the GeM aimed at promoting social inclusion in public procurement. It acts as a catalyst for Inclusive Growth because it specifically targets the most under-served segments of the economy, startups, women, and youth, ensuring they can compete with large corporations for government contracts.
This mechanism manifests as a transition from "exclusive vendor lists" to a "democratised marketplace," where identity-based barriers are replaced by digital verification and merit-based bidding. For the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, SWAYATT is a primary lever to benchmark a trajectory where public spending actively supports social equity.
Policy Relevance
Expands Market Access Beyond Intermediaries: Direct digital procurement reduces reliance on middlemen, enabling women-led enterprises to retain higher value and improve price realisation.
Moves from Quotas to Competitive Participation: Exceeding the 3% mandate signals a transition from compliance-based inclusion to market-driven participation.
Strengthens SHG-to-Market Linkages: Integration of SHGs into procurement systems enhances collective enterprise models and scale efficiencies.
Improves Working Capital Cycles for Small Firms: Timely digital payments address liquidity constraints, enabling smoother business operations and reinvestment.
Aligns Digital Public Infrastructure with Inclusion Goals: GeM demonstrates how digital platforms can operationalise inclusive growth within government spending.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can the government incentivise state-level departments and Panchayats to adopt the "Womaniya Storefront" as their primary source for office furnishings and pantry supplies?
Follow The Full News Here: PIB: Womaniya - Building Inclusive Market Access - 10 April 2026