Content

1. Nari Shakti se Viksit Bharat: Women Leading India’s Economic Transformation Story
2. GeM Surpasses ₹15 Lakh Crore in Cumulative GMV Since Inception

Nari Shakti se Viksit Bharat: Women Leading India’s Economic Transformation Story

Why Women’s Economic Empowerment Matters

• Demographic Dividend: India’s large young population requires full utilization of both male and female workforce potential.
• Multiplier Effect: Higher female labor force participation (FLFP) boosts household income, reduces poverty, and raises GDP.
• UN SDGs Linkage: Women empowerment is central to SDG 5 (Gender Equality), but also accelerates SDGs on poverty, health, education, and economic growth.
• Global Context: World Bank estimates that closing gender gaps in labor markets could increase global GDP by $5–6 trillion.

Relevance : GS 2(Social Justice , Governance)

Current Progress: Data from PLFS, EPFO, and Other Sources

• Workforce Participation Rate (WPR):
  • 2017-18 → 22%
  • 2023-24 → 40.3%
  • Nearly doubled in 6 years.
• Female Unemployment Rate (UR):
  • 2017-18 → 5.6%
  • 2023-24 → 3.2%
  • Shows stronger job absorption.
• Rural vs Urban Trends:
  • Rural: 96% rise in female employment.
  • Urban: 43% growth.
• Education & Employability:
  • Employability of female graduates → 42% (2013) to 47.5% (2024).
  • Postgraduate women WPR → 34.5% (2017-18) to 40% (2023-24).
• Formal Workforce Expansion:
  • 1.56 crore women added to formal jobs (EPFO payroll).
  • 16.69 crore women registered on e-Shram (unorganized workers).

Women-Led Development: Policy & Institutional Push

• From Welfare to Entrepreneurship: Shift from “women development” to “women-led development” under Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
• Gender Budgeting:
  • 2013-14 → ₹0.85 lakh crore
  • 2025-26 → ₹4.49 lakh crore (↑ 429%).
• Schemes Supporting Women:
  • 70 Central schemes, 400+ State-level schemes.
  • Examples: NRLM, Startup India, Mudra Yojana, SVANidhi, Drone Didi, Lakhpati Didi.

Women in Entrepreneurship & Business

• Startups: Nearly 50% DPIIT-registered startups (74,410/1.54 lakh) have a woman director.
• Mudra Yojana: Women received 68% of total loans (35.38 crore loans worth ₹14.72 lakh crore).
• PM SVANidhi: 44% beneficiaries are women vendors.
• MSMEs:
  • Women-owned proprietary establishments → 17.4% (2010-11) to 26.2% (2023-24).
  • Number of women-led MSMEs doubled → 1 crore (2010-11) to 1.92 crore (2023-24).
  • Generated 89 lakh jobs for women (FY21–FY23).

Structural Drivers of Change

• Education & Skill Development: Better female literacy (77% in 2022-23) and access to higher education.
• Digital & Financial Inclusion:
  • Jan Dhan accounts: 56% women account holders.
  • UPI adoption by women entrepreneurs.
• Social Norms & Aspirations: Cultural acceptance of women in business and non-traditional roles is rising.
• Political Support: Women-centric electoral promises, enhanced reservation in local bodies, and policy emphasis on Nari Shakti.

Challenges & Gaps

• Regional Disparities: Female LFPR remains low in certain states (e.g., Bihar, UP).
• Quality of Jobs: Much of the rise is in agriculture and informal services; wage parity remains an issue.
• Workplace Barriers: Safety concerns, lack of childcare, and gender stereotypes limit participation.
• STEM & Leadership Gaps: Women underrepresented in tech, higher management, and policymaking roles.
• Unpaid Care Work: Women continue to bear disproportionate household responsibilities.

Global Benchmarking

• India’s FLFP (2023-24): ~40% (sharp rise, but still below global avg. of ~47%).
• OECD Countries: Often above 55-60%.
• China & Bangladesh: Higher female participation historically, but India catching up post-2018 reforms.

Future Outlook: Towards Viksit Bharat 2047

• Target: 70% female workforce participation by 2047.
• Pillars for Next Stage:
  • Expanding formal sector absorption.
  • Deepening women’s role in startups, tech, and green jobs.
  • Removing wage & leadership gaps.
  • Scaling financial inclusion beyond micro-credit.
  • Stronger care economy support (childcare, maternity benefits).

Significance for India’s Transformation

• Economic Impact: McKinsey estimates adding $770 billion to India’s GDP by 2025 with gender parity in labor force.
• Social Impact: Reduces poverty, improves nutrition, education, and intergenerational mobility.
• Strategic Impact: Women-led growth strengthens India’s global image as an inclusive democracy.

GeM Surpasses ₹15 Lakh Crore in Cumulative GMV Since Inception

What is GeM?

• Launched: August 9, 2016, by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• Purpose: Unified online marketplace for government procurement of goods and services.
• Nature: Paperless, cashless, contactless platform using technology to remove intermediaries.
• Scale (2025):
  • 70,000+ buyer organizations.
  • Over 65 lakh sellers/service providers.
  • 11,000+ product categories and 320+ service categories.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance )

Importance of Public Procurement in India

• Public procurement = 20–25% of India’s GDP (World Bank).
• Traditionally faced issues: corruption, cartelization, delays, lack of vendor diversity.
• GeM solves this via:
  • Real-time price discovery & reverse e-auctioning.
  • Direct govt-to-vendor contracts (removes middlemen).
  • Integrated payment systems with PFMS (Public Financial Management System).

Milestone Achievement – ₹15 Lakh Crore GMV (2025)

• Gross Merchandise Value (GMV): Cumulative value of goods/services sold.
• Achievement: ₹15 lakh crore in 9 years (2016–2025).
• Annual GMV acceleration:
  • ₹1 lakh crore in 2019–20.
  • ₹2.5 lakh crore in 2021–22.
  • ₹4 lakh crore in 2022–23.
  • ₹6.2 lakh crore in 2023–24.

Key Features Driving Success

• Inclusivity:
  • ~57% of registered sellers are MSEs.
  • Over 12 lakh women entrepreneurs registered.
  • 1.5 lakh+ SC/ST entrepreneurs onboarded.
• Ease of Doing Business: End-to-end online registration, e-bidding, 100% digital payments.
• Transparency: Price comparison, contract history, no human discretion in bidding.
• Innovation: AI-driven analytics for demand forecasting; pilots with blockchain for contract security.
• Integration: Linked with Aadhaar, Udyam, GSTN, PAN databases for vendor validation.

Socio-Economic Impact

• Savings for Government: Estimated 9–10% cost reduction vs traditional procurement (CAG reports).
• Support for MSEs: Over 50% of total order value goes to MSEs.
• Women & Marginalized Vendors:
  • 12% of procurement earmarked for women-led & SC/ST enterprises.
  • SHGs in states like UP, Bihar, and MP sell handicrafts, textiles, agri-products.
• Employment & Innovation:
  • Strengthened rural entrepreneurship by connecting SHGs.
  • Startups gain direct market access (Startup India–GeM integration).

Policy & Governance Significance

• Digital India Alignment: End-to-end online procurement supports e-Governance.
• Atmanirbhar Bharat Push: Preference to Make in India suppliers; over 75% of orders are domestic.
• Fiscal Accountability: Integrated with PFMS → reduces payment delays & leakages.
• Viksit Bharat Vision (2047): Move towards a fully digital, transparent, inclusive procurement ecosystem.

Challenges Ahead

• Regional disparities: Seller concentration in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka; weaker presence in NE states & rural belts.
• Digital Divide: Limited internet access & literacy among SHGs/rural MSEs.
• Quality Control: Ensuring inclusivity while maintaining quality standards.
• Cybersecurity Risks: Fraud, phishing, fake vendors.
• Training Gap: Many local bodies, Gram Panchayats, and small vendors lack digital procurement training.

Way Forward

• Expand Onboarding: Focus on SHGs, women, rural entrepreneurs.
• Deepen Tech Use: AI for fraud detection, predictive procurement; Blockchain for contract integrity.
• Green Procurement: Prioritize eco-friendly goods/services (Net Zero 2070 goal).
• Global Outreach: Position GeM as a DPI model for developing nations (like UPI).
• Capacity Building: Training programs for govt officials & rural vendors.

Strategic Significance

• Economic: Streamlines procurement worth ₹15 lakh crore+, freeing fiscal space for welfare schemes.
• Social: Empowers women, SHGs, SC/ST enterprises by integrating them into govt business.
• Governance: Reduces corruption & leakages, enhances trust in state systems.
• Global Image: Along with UPI, CoWIN, Aadhaar → GeM strengthens India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) profile.