Shake-up for unpopular procurement system that left Indian scientists with substandard supplies
By 
Sanjay Kumar2025-07-02T08:30:00
Changes will see researchers, departments and universities able to buy equipment without going through government’s online portal
The Indian government has announced that it will make sweeping changes to a highly controversial and unpopular procurement policy that covers scientific equipment and consumables.
The Government e Market (GeM), an online portal for purchasing all equipment, consumables and services for research, was touted as a great step forward when it was introduced in 2016. It was claimed that it would save the country a lot of money and help researchers procure things more cheaply, while also supporting local manufacturing under prime minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India scheme.