MAM
Womaniya on GeM opens government procurement market to women entrepreneurs
Over 2.1 lakh women-led MSEs tap public procurement via digital platform
NEW DELHI: The Womaniya Initiative is steadily reshaping how women entrepreneurs access government markets, with over 2.1 lakh women-led micro and small enterprises now registered on the Government e Marketplace.
Launched in 2019 under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the initiative enables women entrepreneurs and self-help groups to sell directly to government buyers through a dedicated digital interface, cutting through traditional barriers such as limited market access and reliance on intermediaries.
Public procurement has long been one of India’s largest organised markets. With the rise of GeM, a fully digital, paperless and cashless procurement platform, the system has become more transparent and accessible. Womaniya builds on this foundation by creating a focused pathway for women-led enterprises to participate in government supply chains.
The scale of participation is already notable. In FY 2025-26, women entrepreneurs on GeM secured an order volume of 13.7 lakh, with contracts worth over Rs 28,000 crore awarded to women-led businesses. This accounts for 5.6 per cent of total procurement on the platform, comfortably exceeding the mandated 3 per cent target.
The initiative focuses on product categories where women entrepreneurs already have a strong presence, including handicrafts, handloom textiles, coir products, home décor and office accessories. These are grouped under curated storefronts, making it easier for government departments to discover and procure from women-led suppliers.
Beyond listings, Womaniya is also about capability building. Entrepreneurs are onboarded digitally through Udyam verification, supported by training workshops, buyer-seller meets and vernacular outreach programmes. The platform ensures standardised cataloguing, transparent bidding and time-bound payments, which are critical for small businesses operating with limited capital.
The initiative works in tandem with SWAYATT, a broader programme aimed at improving access to public procurement for startups, women, youth and marginalised groups. Together, they form a wider push towards inclusive economic participation.
At the grassroots level, self-help groups continue to play a vital role. With over 10 crore women mobilised into lakhs of SHGs nationwide, the pipeline of potential entrepreneurs is steadily expanding, strengthening the ecosystem further.
What began as a targeted inclusion effort is now evolving into one of the country’s largest organised procurement channels for women-led enterprises. By linking digital infrastructure with on-ground mobilisation, Womaniya is not just opening doors, it is helping women walk confidently through them into formal economic participation.
MAM
GUEST COLUMN: How strategy and creativity drives ROI in digital campaigns
Why engagement, AI, and integrated strategy are redefining ROI in digital campaigns
MUMBAI: As digital marketing matures, the benchmarks of success are undergoing a fundamental shift. Reach and visibility, once the primary indicators of campaign performance, are no longer sufficient in a landscape defined by fleeting attention spans and evolving consumer behaviour. Today, brands are being challenged to move beyond surface-level metrics and focus on meaningful engagement, relevance, and long-term impact. ForAkhil Nair, founder and CEO at BigTrunk Communications, this transition from visibility to value reflects a deeper change in how campaigns are conceived, executed, and measured. In this piece, Nair explores why traditional metrics fall short, how AI and integrated thinking are reshaping campaign effectiveness, and why creativity, context, and agility are essential to driving real return on investment in modern digital campaigns.
The shift from visibility to value
For a long time, digital campaigns were judged by how many people saw them. If lots of people looked at it and the numbers were good, it meant things were going well. Impressions and clicks were what mattered. Over time, that didn’t feel like enough. Just because someone sees something doesn’t mean it makes an impact. People scroll through content quickly and often do not really notice what they have just seen. This has changed how we think about campaigns today.
There has been a shift in how brands look at this. It is not just about reaching people, but also about what happens after that, whether someone stops, engages, or remembers the brand later. That is what matters more. This moves the focus from visibility to value.
Some metrics we have relied on for years do not tell the full story. A campaign can reach a large audience and still fail to create a real connection. On paper, it may look strong, but in reality, it does not do much. That is why engagement and intent have become more important, especially whether people are interacting with the content or simply scrolling past it. Even small actions, like spending a few extra seconds or clicking through, matter more.
AI is helping brands understand how people behave and interact with them. It helps brands make better decisions so they can create campaigns that truly connect with people, not just reach a large audience. AI can also predict what will be popular and help refine campaigns, which makes marketing more effective. This allows marketing teams to focus more on generating ideas. In this way, AI supports both creativity and strategy.
Why integration and context matter
Another important factor is how well everything comes together. Campaigns often fall short when strategy, media, and creative are developed separately, because that lack of alignment is noticeable. When everything is aligned from the start, the campaign feels more natural and the message comes through clearly. It also fits better within the platform where it appears.
This matters because people behave differently across platforms. The way someone watches a video is not the same as how they search or read longer content. These differences may seem minor, but they can significantly impact performance. Paying attention to context helps campaigns feel more relevant and effective.
Creativity, agility and long-term impact
There is a common assumption that performance-driven campaigns leave little room for creativity, but that is not the case. The most effective campaigns often feel simple and real. People tend to ignore anything that feels overly polished or forced. Instead, they connect with content that feels familiar and relatable, something that reflects how they think or speak.
At the same time, campaigns do not always go as planned. Audience behavior, trends, and platform dynamics can shift quickly. What works initially may stop working later. That is why it is important to continuously track performance and make adjustments. Small changes over time can improve outcomes, and campaigns that stay flexible tend to perform better.
While short-term results matter, consistency over time plays a bigger role. When a brand shows up in a relevant and consistent way, it builds familiarity. Over time, that familiarity turns into trust.
Digital marketing has evolved, and expectations have evolved with it. Visibility still matters, but it is no longer enough on its own. What truly drives impact is whether a campaign connects, leaves a lasting impression, and leads to action. Being seen is easy, but being remembered is what really counts.
