The Startup Mahakumbh 2025 concluded in New Delhi on Saturday, marking significant participation and highlighting the growing strength of India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Among the key participants was the Government e Marketplace (GeM), which showcased its role in supporting startup growth and underlined the potential of public procurement as a tool for promoting innovation and inclusive development.

As a strategic presenting partner, GeM engaged with a wide range of startups, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders during the event. Its participation reflected an ongoing effort to support the growth of Indian startups by facilitating access to government markets, encouraging new opportunities, and contributing to the broader vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The event saw sector-focused pavilions that celebrated India’s strength in DeepTech, AgriTech, BioTech, MedTech, Artificial Intelligence, Gaming, and more. GeM’s presence underscored its mission to bridge the gap between innovators and government buyers, enabling faster scale, market validation, and meaningful contribution to India’s global innovation standing.

GeM’s impact at the Mahakumbh was further amplified through a high-energy panel discussion that drew a packed audience and featured sharp insights from GeM leaders, industry experts, and policymakers. The panel covered key themes such as:

• Charting India’s Growth Story
• Boosting State Procurement Through Startups
• Emerging Technology as a Service
• Driving Startup Growth via GeM Categories
• Unlocking Opportunities with Central Government Buyers

The sessions reinforced GeM’s role in transforming public procurement into a launchpad for India’s next generation of entrepreneurs.

Speaking on the theme of government-startup collaboration, CEO, Government e Marketplace (GeM), Shri Ajay Bhadoo said, “Let’s work together and unlock the true potential of public procurement in driving startup growth, inclusive development, and Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

His keynote address underlined the transformative potential of platforms like GeM in scaling innovative homegrown solutions and supporting startups with policy-driven opportunities.

During the three-day event, GeM responded to over 2500 startup queries, facilitated 1000+ startup registrations and cataloguing, and hosted more than 1500 interactive sessions—including one-on-one mentoring and group engagements—focused on onboarding and skilling through GeM’s Learning Management System (LMS).

GeM’s Pavilion hosted over 70 innovative startups, including 30 startup pods awarded free of cost to winners of GeM’s Start-o-nauts Challenge. So far, GeM has enabled over ₹38,500 Crore in transactions for 30,000+ startups, reinforcing its position as a true catalyst in India’s innovation ecosystem.

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Abhishek Dayal / Abhijith Narayanan/ Ishita Biswas