The Startup Mahakumbh 2025, held in New Delhi, showcased the expanding strength of India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, with the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) emerging as a major catalyst in connecting startups to public procurement opportunities. As a strategic presenting partner, GeM played a central role at the three-day event, reinforcing its position as a key enabler of innovation-driven growth and inclusive development under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
GeM’s pavilion at the event became a hub of activity, drawing heavy footfall from startup founders, investors, government officials, and industry experts. During the event, GeM successfully resolved over 2500 startup-related queries and facilitated more than 1000 new startup registrations. In addition to these milestones, the platform organized over 1500 interactive sessions that included one-on-one mentoring and group engagements, aimed at onboarding startups and skilling them through its Learning Management System (LMS). The platform’s dynamic presence reflected its mission to bridge the gap between government buyers and the country’s emerging innovators.
In his keynote address, Shri Ajay Bhadoo, CEO of GeM, emphasized the potential of public procurement as a launchpad for startup success. He urged entrepreneurs to view government markets not as bureaucratic hurdles, but as powerful enablers of scale, validation, and real-world impact. His address highlighted the importance of collaboration between the government and startups in accelerating innovation, economic growth, and national self-reliance.
The event also featured a widely attended panel discussion hosted by GeM, where policymakers, industry leaders, and platform executives engaged in high-level dialogue. The discussion covered India’s evolving startup growth story, the role of startups in boosting state procurement, the rise of emerging technologies as service models, and the growing opportunities within GeM’s expanding procurement categories. The dialogue strongly reinforced the role of GeM in shaping a more inclusive and innovation-led procurement landscape.
GeM’s pavilion further hosted over 70 cutting-edge startups, including 30 who were offered free-of-cost pods as winners of GeM’s Start-o-nauts Challenge. This initiative served to spotlight some of India’s most promising startups and allowed them to showcase their products and services to key stakeholders.
With over ₹38,500 crore in procurement already enabled for more than 30,000 startups across India, GeM has positioned itself as a vital force in the country’s innovation ecosystem. Its success at Startup Mahakumbh 2025 only reaffirms its commitment to transforming how government procurement can nurture and scale homegrown entrepreneurial talent, fueling the journey toward a truly self-reliant and innovation-first India.