The Startup Mahakumbh 2025, held in New Delhi, concluded with strong participation from across India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. A key highlight of the event was the Government e Marketplace (GeM) Pavilion, which served as a powerful showcase of how public procurement can be a driver of innovation, growth, and inclusive development for Indian startups.
Catalysing Innovation Through Public Procurement
As a strategic presenting partner, GeM used its platform at the Mahakumbh to demonstrate its ongoing efforts to empower Indian startups. By offering access to government procurement opportunities, GeM is helping startups scale, gain market validation, and participate in the government’s broader Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.
GeM’s participation highlighted sectoral strengths across DeepTech, AgriTech, BioTech, MedTech, AI, and Gaming, aligning with India’s growing innovation landscape.
Major Engagement and Strong On-Ground Impact
The three-day event witnessed:
-
2500+ startup queries resolved
-
1000+ startup registrations and catalogue listings
-
1500+ mentoring and skilling sessions through GeM’s Learning Management System (LMS)
-
70 innovative startups exhibited at the Pavilion, including 30 pods awarded through GeM’s Start-o-nauts Challenge
GeM also hosted a high-energy panel discussion, drawing a packed audience and engaging stakeholders on themes such as:
-
Charting India’s Growth Story
-
Boosting State Procurement Through Startups
-
Emerging Tech as a Service
-
Unlocking Government Buyer Opportunities
-
Driving Startup Growth via GeM Categories
These discussions highlighted the potential of startup-government collaboration to power next-generation entrepreneurship in India.
Also read: MahaCollab Unites Stakeholders for Circular Textiles
GeM’s Transformative Role
During his keynote, Shri Ajay Bhadoo, CEO, GeM, emphasized the importance of policy-backed public procurement in building a resilient startup ecosystem. “Let’s work together and unlock the true potential of public procurement in driving startup growth, inclusive development, and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he said.
GeM’s mission to simplify access to government markets has already translated into significant success—₹38,500 crore in transactions for over 30,000 startups. Its presence at the Startup Mahakumbh 2025 reinforced this trajectory, showing how startups can thrive through strategic, government-enabled opportunities.