With India-UK FTA talks concluded, India to introduce global tendering for public procurement

India is set to introduce global tendering features on its government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, allowing international companies including British firms to take part in Indian government tenders. This big step in procurement and supply chain management comes after the successful India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), according to a senior official.

Currently, the GeM portal is mainly used by Indian government departments and agencies for purchasing goods and services. These new features will let foreign suppliers join tenders floated by Indian government buyers, making the procurement process more competitive and efficient.

GeM CEO Mihir Kumar said the new procurement supply chain tools will also include a ‘rate contract’ feature. This allows government buyers to purchase at fixed, pre-approved prices for a specific time usually between three months to a year helping reduce the need for repeated bidding.

This update is expected to attract more global firms and boost transparency in procurement and supply chain logistics. The GeM portal is already on track to achieve ₹3.5 trillion in procurement in FY24, making it a leading example in public procurement.

Understanding what is procurement and the difference between procurement and supply chain management is essential as India modernizes its digital buying process. This development is a major milestone for procurement supply chain analysts and could even set the stage for future procurement supply chain awards.