GeM OEM Registration: Process, Fees, Certificate and Dashboard

GeM OEM registration is a sequence of approvals: create a seller profile, complete the applicable Vendor Assessment (VA) or Vendor Assessment Exemption (VAE), obtain the relevant Brand–OEM dashboard, and maintain compliant catalogues. OEM means Original Equipment Manufacturer. A seller login, assessment report, brand approval and active product listing each establish a different part of your readiness to sell.

This guide covers the regulatory architecture and operational governance of the GeM OEM ecosystem, with practical answers about registration fees, the OEM certificate, login, status and authorisation codes. It was reviewed on 6 October 2026 using official GeM policies and application guidelines. For detailed rules about unbranded products and buyer procurement methods, read our GeM unbranded catalogue and CMS 3.0 guide.

Sources: official seller policy library, Vendor Validation Policy v5.0, GTC v1.29, clause 27.

What counts as an OEM on GeM?#

The starting definition is GTC v1.29, clause 2(g): an OEM is the brand/trademark owner of the offered product or, for the own/unregistered-brand situation described there, the actual manufacturer of the final product. Recognition requires the notified assessment process unless an exemption applies. Supporting evidence and manufacturing capability matter alongside the label selected in a profile.

A distributor is not automatically a Deemed OEM. The v5.0 definition and VA guidelines require the overseas-OEM relationship and prescribed undertaking. Nor is it correct to say all resellers can only pair: CMS Q3/Q4 permit catalogue creation in the circumstances discussed below.

Rule 149 provides the central procurement framework for goods and services available on GeM. Do not extend its mandate into an unsupported statement that every state institution or every purchase is governed identically; the buyer’s applicable rules, availability and procurement route still matter. OEM recognition also does not itself establish Make-in-India local content, MSE purchase preference or eligibility for a particular tender.

Sources: GTC v1.29, clause 2(g), page 3, v5.0, introduction and section 2, VA guidelines, ownership section and Appendix B.

GeM OEM registration process: from seller profile to live catalogue#

1. Create and complete the primary seller profile#

Start at gem.gov.in and use the seller registration/login flow. The validation policy describes Aadhaar/PAN identity checks, company validation through MCA-21, GSTIN validation where applicable, and turnover validation through tax-return information. Preserve the distinction between the organisation’s PAN and the person authorised to operate its account.

Review the legal name, constitution, registered address, manufacturing addresses, contact email, bank details and financial history before initiating assessment. The VA guidelines require relevant turnover details to be updated for at least the last three assessment years. Data imported into an assessment application is captured from the GeM profile and cannot simply be edited later on RITES.

The policy says an ITR can be updated on GeM after two days from filing on the Income Tax portal. This review does not establish a universal 15 October GeM-update deadline. Use the actual account requirements and applicable filing dates instead of treating that date as an OEM rule.

2. Choose assessment or the applicable exemption#

Identify the exact product categories and check VAE eligibility first. Under v5.0, a VA application can be rejected if the vendor qualifies for VAE in the applied category. Paying for an assessment is therefore not a sensible substitute for determining the right route.

The current guidelines describe Vendor Assessment → New Assessment Request, followed by selection of OEM/Deemed OEM or reseller. Review the prefilled entity data, verify bank information, select the categories and submit the GeM request. The guidelines currently describe up to 40 categories per VA application, expressly subject to change.

Submitting on GeM generates the VA reference and sends credentials to the registered email for the RITES stage. Continue through the official RITES assessment portal, complete the form, upload evidence and make the applicable payment. A GeM request ID is not evidence that the full RITES application has been completed.

3. Complete review and respond to non-conformities#

Track the agency’s remarks and answer each non-conformity (NC) with the relevant evidence. The form’s manually entered information becomes non-editable after submission. Incorrect names, stale addresses, mismatched licences or an inaccurate turnover slab can lead to rejection and loss of the assessment fee.

The RITES portal’s instructions currently describe an NC response period of two working days, excluding the day raised, followed by a final two-working-day reminder. Follow the deadline attached to your actual request and retain submission acknowledgements. An unanswered NC should not be treated as a pending approval indefinitely.

4. Apply for the Brand–OEM dashboard#

The official OEM-panel training explains that a valid VA/VAE for a category makes the OEM panel available. Through My Account → Seller Panel → OEM Panel, raise the applicable Brand–OEM request. Dashboard approval is a separate decision from technical assessment.

Use the request appropriate to your registered brand, unregistered brand or manufacturer-linked unbranded goods. Once the dashboard request is approved, verify the category and brand mapping before relying on its reseller-management or catalogue functions.

5. Create or validate catalogues and test the selling journey#

Prepare product specifications, images, MRP evidence, model information, category licences and origin declarations. Verify the approved catalogue, seller offer, stock and delivery settings. Then review the particular bid’s technical conditions and required documents.

This sequence is a planning workflow. GeM’s menu labels and enabled actions can change; the live account status and current official instructions determine what is available.

Sources: VA application guidelines, steps 1–10 and Appendix A, RITES instructions, OEM-panel training, pages 2–9, updated 6 November 2025.

Documents required for GeM OEM registration and assessment#

An effective document set follows the applicant’s constitution, product category and manufacturing arrangement. An ISO certificate, factory licence, Udyam registration or drug licence is not universally required for every applicant merely because it appears in an example list.

Constitution and ownership evidence#

VAE has its own document checklist. For example, its company section also lists AOC-4 and applicable BEN-1/BEN-2 and IEC records. Do not assume the VA and VAE upload lists are identical. Both workflows use the prescribed beneficial-ownership declarations; company ownership disclosures may use the signed/notarised or statutory-auditor options specified in the official forms.

The company shareholding disclosure identifies owners at 5% or more at the relevant parent level. This disclosure threshold is not the same thing as a beneficial-ownership or control test. Trace the appropriate ownership chain, including the overseas OEM or contract manufacturer when required.

Sources: VA guidelines, Appendix A, sections 4–5 and Appendix B, VAE guidelines, Appendix A, prescribed VA/VAE templates.

Land-border review includes control, not only incorporation#

An Indian incorporation certificate does not conclude the GFR 144(xi) review. Version 5.0 Annexure V addresses control through other means across the applicant, overseas OEM, contract manufacturer and relevant ownership-tree entities. It sets separate conditions for independent and other directors from countries sharing a land border with India, together with an overall ratio test. They must be considered collectively, without rounding or replacing them with a weighted-average ownership calculation.

Where the stated conditions are satisfied, the prescribed control undertaking may still be needed. Where they are not, the policy requires the relevant competent-authority registration under the cited Department of Expenditure order. Annexure V expressly covers only its control-through-other-means question; satisfying it does not answer every other land-border compliance requirement.

Prepare a consistent record of country of incorporation, nationality, ownership and actual control for the entities involved. These are separate from the country of origin of a product and from its local-content percentage. A Deemed-OEM letter or domestic GST invoice cannot substitute for that analysis.

Source: Vendor Validation Policy v5.0, Annexure V and V(a).

Address, manufacturing and category evidence#

The VA guidelines allow several address proofs. Utility bills generally must be no more than three months old; a notarised rent deed must remain valid for at least 30 days after application. Other permitted examples include eligible property-tax records, factory licence and ownership/allotment documents. Proprietorship has additional personal-document options. Check the document’s permitted age, validity and name rather than applying one rule to every proof.

For proprietorship, partnership and LLP, the address proof can be in the applying entity’s name or the proprietor/partner’s name under the guideline. For company, trust/society and government entity, it must be in the applying entity’s name. Manufacturing-site details and supporting records must also correspond to the facilities being assessed.

The guidelines allow up to four manufacturing sites in the described VA form. Some fields are conditional yes/no disclosures; past-work details are expressly not mandatory in the stated product-VA field. Do not turn every example of supporting material into a universal entry barrier.

Source: VA guidelines, Appendix A, address and manufacturing sections.

RITES desktop and video assessment: what is verified?#

The current v5.0 policy identifies RITES Ltd. in Annexure I. Desktop assessment checks physical existence, manufacturing process, category compliance and information not already validated through databases. Reseller applications also involve relevant OEM authorisation evidence.

The OEM video stage verifies the geotagged manufacturing location, production activity, capability and information supplied in the desktop stage. Demonstrate the actual products in the applied categories. The policy permits one additional slot where production activity across multiple categories cannot be shown in a single session; the report is not issued after only the first slot of such a staggered assessment.

VAE removes the video-assessment stage for eligible applicants; desktop assessment still takes place. Assessment exemption therefore does not mean exemption from ownership, address, licence or other documentary review.

Source: Vendor Validation Policy v5.0, section 2(B)(i), Brand and Product Approval Policy v2.0.

Vendor Assessment Exemption: current eligibility and limits#

The v5.0 policy and VAE guidelines recognise the following routes. The evidence and conditions for the selected category still apply.

The policy also recognises the stated government-representation route for reseller societies/trusts/other bodies and permits additional notified categories approved by CEO-GeM. A reseller VA/VAE application requires the corresponding OEM to have a valid dashboard for the applied category.

Turnover above ₹500 crore is not an automatic exemption#

Section 3 specifically requires vendors with more than ₹500 crore annual turnover in any of the last three financial years to apply for VA. It provides a tailored document approach, including category, ownership and contract-manufacturer evidence, and still requires video assessment. Do not retain the draft’s high-turnover exemption row.

Overlapping licences must still be supplied#

Selecting medical-device VAE does not eliminate a mandatory BIS requirement for the same category. Conversely, selecting CML-based VAE does not eliminate a mandatory medical licence. Version 5.0 expressly addresses this overlap and distinguishes mandatory from voluntary standards.

Sources: v5.0, section 2(B)(i), sections 3–4 and Annexure IV, VAE guidelines, Appendix B.

GeM OEM registration fees: separate the different charges#

Basic seller registration is generally free, as described by the Maharashtra MSME Commissionerate. Assessment, trading charges and optional professional assistance are different costs. There is no single universal “OEM certificate registration fee” that covers every approval and future order.

Source: government-hosted GeM scheme information.

Current RITES vendor-assessment fee slabs#

Annexure I of v5.0 lists fees payable directly to the validation agency:

Use the tax and payable total on the live payment screen/invoice. The current annexure does not supply the draft’s separate discounted reseller table, so it is not reproduced here. An agency fee is also distinct from any independently quoted consultancy charge. The guidelines identify rejection/no-refund consequences for inaccurate data or failure to respond; payment does not guarantee a successful assessment.

Source: v5.0, Annexure I, VA guidelines, submission notes and Appendix A.

Caution money: current exemption#

GTC v1.29, clause 27 exempts all sellers from caution money irrespective of turnover. Do not use the old ₹5,000/₹10,000/₹25,000 deposit slabs as current onboarding costs. Caution money is separate from tender EMD, performance security and platform transaction charges.

Source: GTC v1.29, page 49.

Domestic revenue policy: milestone and transaction charges#

Under Revenue Policy v1.6, applicable to bids opening on/after 26 August 2025 and the specified direct-purchase/L1 orders:

Orders of ₹10 lakh or less and orders awarded before the ₹20 lakh milestone are exempt from ordinary transaction charges under section 2(e). Separate provisions apply to rate contracts, specified government-to-government transactions and other listed procurement modes; do not apply the ordinary table indiscriminately.

For the charges governed by section 3, the payment deadline is the earliest of 15 days after award, before the first invoice to the buyer, or the first contractual delivery due date. It is not always safe to wait until day 15. Refunds are conditional; the policy distinguishes eligible buyer-side cancellations from seller default.

Source: Revenue Policy v1.6, sections 1–6 and 9.

Global Tender Enquiry has a separate September 2026 schedule#

For Global Tender bids opening on/after 30 September 2026, the separately published policy applies to awarded international and domestic sellers: orders below ₹50 crore attract 0.3%, while orders of ₹50 crore or more attract ₹15 lakh, plus applicable tax. The stated payment period is 15 days from contract award. Do not carry the ordinary ₹3 lakh cap into this workflow.

Source: Global Tender Enquiry Revenue Policy v1.0, sections 1–3.

How to get an OEM certificate for GeM and check OEM status#

Searches for “GeM OEM certificate” often combine several records. The verified workflows produce an assessment report or VAE reference and a separately approved Brand–OEM dashboard. Maintain those records with the actual category, brand, validity and account status. A consultancy-issued certificate does not replace GeM recognition.

For an OEM-status check, inspect each stage in the logged-in account. Keep the VA/request ID, outcome, expiry date, approved categories, dashboard mapping and catalogue IDs together. If the OEM panel is missing, check VA/VAE validity and category coverage first. If the panel exists but a brand dashboard is pending, follow the separate brand request rather than filing another unrelated assessment.

Sources: v5.0, sections 2 and 5, OEM-panel training, pages 2–9.

GeM OEM login, registration form and mobile app#

Use the main GeM portal for OEM registration/login and the seller profile’s OEM panel. The assessment guidelines direct the applicant to RITES for the agency stage. These are connected workflows with different records; there is no separate public one-page OEM registration form that bypasses assessment and dashboard approval.

The official GeM Seller Android listing, published by Government e Marketplace, describes mobile access to catalogues, profile and notifications. Use that verified listing for its currently stated functionality. Do not assume the mobile app supports every desktop assessment, bulk-authorisation or catalogue action.

The similarly named “GEM Mobile App” at App Store ID 1401226796 is published by Bank Al Habib Limited for trading; it is not India’s Government e-Marketplace seller app. It should not be used as the download link for this registration journey. This review does not verify an equivalent GeM Seller iOS listing.

Sources: official OEM-panel instructions, Android publisher listing, publisher of the supplied iOS listing.

Brand approval and catalogue governance#

Brand Policy v2.0 identifies five request types: Registered Brand Only, Registered Brand + OEM, Unregistered Brand + OEM, Unbranded + OEM and OEM Only for an existing registered brand in a GeM category. Its registered-brand checks address authenticity and the relevant trademark class; the OEM-related registered routes also examine ownership/enabling evidence.

For an unregistered-brand request, the name must not already be registered in the relevant class and the prescribed undertaking requires signature, stamp, notarisation and attestation on each page. A pending application remains different from registered trademark protection.

Brand requests have a maximum of three attempts per category; a third notification is treated as rejection. Brand Revival is available through the GeM helpdesk with the necessary evidence. The stated four-working-day target excludes submission day and is conditional, rather than a guaranteed date for dashboard activation.

For Deemed OEMs, the same policy restricts combining VAE with a Deemed-OEM letter and identifies a narrow medical-device-importer exception. The newer validation policy/guidelines must also be checked for the actual category. Do not expand this into an unsupported exemption for all foreign subsidiaries or all “life-saving” products.

The product stage separately checks category relevance, photographs, model identity, technical parameters, MRP, applicable certifications and origin. Real packaging MRP evidence is required where packaging applies; where GeM accepts that packaging is inapplicable, the permitted recent OEM declaration/rate-list alternatives apply. This guide does not assert a universal minimum 10% discount or maximum of two unregistered brands from dated screenshots.

Source: Brand Policy v2.0, pages 1–6. See the detailed catalogue guide for the product checks and unbranded route.

CMS 3.0: OEM control and reseller rights by quadrant#

Use the current CMS 3.0 policy together with GTC clause 28. The special SHG category sits alongside the ordinary four quadrants; avoid presenting CMS 2.0 as the current system.

Resellers remain responsible for their offer price, stock and delivery locations. OEM catalogue/MRP administration should not be represented as an unrestricted power to fix every reseller’s bid price. In Q3/Q4, the applicable sourcing undertaking commits the unapproved reseller to genuine authorised-channel sourcing, chain evidence at delivery and genuine replacement if challenged.

The CMS policy specifies a 72-hour OEM response for the relevant new reseller-catalogue review. Silence is not automatic approval. Follow the recorded request outcome and the applicable escalation mechanism.

Sources: CMS 3.0 policy, GTC v1.29, clause 28.

GeM OEM authorisation code: generation, validation and removal#

The official training updated 6 November 2025 describes Manage Resellers / Manage Authorizations specifically for Q2; Q3 uses Manage Approvals. This distinction matters when a seller searches for a missing menu.

1. The OEM selects the relevant approved brand/category dashboard and opens the Q2 authorisation function.
2. It creates a unique code for the intended reseller, individually or using the available CSV workflow. The training shows rejection of special characters.
3. The reseller opens My Account → Reseller Panel, selects the category/brand, enters the authorisation number and raises the request.
4. The OEM reviews the matching seller request and validates or rejects it with the recorded reason where required.
5. Verify the authorised status and applicable catalogue pairing before relying on the offer for a bid.

Code generation alone is not the same as approval of the correct reseller. The OEM must check who used the code. The training distinguishes seller validation from validation of the authorisation code itself.

The panel also provides removal/invalidation functions. Record the distribution decision, verify the changed status and review affected offers and existing contractual obligations. Do not claim that clicking Remove cancels every awarded contract or automatically terminates all warranty responsibilities.

For Q3 catalogue review, the training shows OEM approval with MRP/minimum-discount fields, subsequent GeM administrative clearance and rejection where reseller MRP conflicts with the OEM entry. It also shows Pair/Discontinue actions for relevant pre-existing reseller catalogues and warns that a discontinued catalogue cannot be reuploaded. These are consequential actions: establish the correct product and reason before using them.

Source: OEM-panel training, pages 10–41.

Validity, reassessment and licence renewal#

The normal VA report period is three years, curtailed where a submitted compliance document expires earlier. Section 5 requires application for fresh assessment at least two months before expiry. A new report supersedes the old report, and GeM can require reassessment during an existing report’s validity.

Annexure IV of v5.0 gives a limited extension route where recognition was shortened by a compliance-document expiry and the document has been renewed. The extension cannot exceed the earlier of the renewed document’s earliest expiry or three years from processing of the original VA/VAE. It does not start another three-year period.

The renewed document must take effect from the previous expiry date or earlier. If its effective date leaves a gap, fresh VA/VAE is required for the category. Applying after expiry can interrupt the panel/dashboard/catalogues, and the policy warns that catalogues may not be restored even after dashboard restoration.

An internal expiry register should therefore cover assessment, each supporting licence, brand/request status and catalogue continuity. Combine categories in an application only after considering whether an earlier-expiring licence will shorten the shared validity.

Source: v5.0, sections 2(B)(i), 5 and Annexure IV, VAE guidelines, BIS and extension sections.

Incident management, warranty liability and tender security#

The official incident-policy index now links IM policy V14.10, applicable from 9 June 2026. It distinguishes temporary moratorium, suspension and buyer-specific debarment. Consequences depend on the deviation, policy route and action taken; a universal “45–90 days for any incorrect document” summary is misleading.

Fee default can lead to temporary moratorium and the current policy provides closure/restoration on payment. The supplied draft’s promise of restoration within 24 hours for transaction-fee default is not established: the policy’s explicit 24-hour wording concerns a different GeM Sahay loan-payment incident.

Clause 14 addresses additional OEM actions, including specified repeated deviations and action where a reseller fails warranty/after-sales requirements. It does not support the draft’s blanket claim that such OEM responsibility begins only above ₹10 lakh. The operative CMS allocation remains important, including Q4 reseller replacement warranty.

An OEM should keep documented reseller selection, product matching, service arrangements, complaint escalation and evidence of corrective action. Answer the actual show-cause notice and preserve the record. The policy provides a conditional appeal route; bringing an appeal does not itself remove the imposed restriction.

Sources: official incident-policy index, current IM policy, definitions, appeal, OEM responsibilities and Annexures 1–2.

VA/VAE and EMD exemption are category-specific#

GTC v1.29 includes EMD exemption for sellers with valid assessment/exemption for the primary product/service involved, with report/confirmation uploaded for buyer validation. This is not an unconditional waiver for every tender the business enters. Other exempt categories and state-buyer provisions must also be read in the applicable GTC and bid.

EMD exemption does not, by itself, eliminate performance security, technical qualification or delivery obligations. Similarly, MSE/startup status, local-content preference and OEM recognition are separate attributes with separate conditions.

Source: GTC v1.29, buyer e-bidding provisions, pages 21–22.

Worked examples: common OEM-registration mistakes#

These are editorial illustrations of the verified rules, not GeM decisions.

A ₹600 crore manufacturer chooses turnover-based VAE. High turnover is not the relevant exemption under current section 3. Check whether another genuine VAE criterion applies; otherwise follow the tailored VA process, including video assessment.

A BIS licence expires in six months. Recognition cannot simply be assumed to run for three years. Record the curtailed validity, renew the licence in time and check the limited extension route. A renewal gap can require fresh validation.

A Q2 reseller has a code but no approved request. The code is only one step. Confirm that the intended reseller used it, that the OEM validated the request and that the offer is paired with the correct catalogue.

A seller crosses ₹20 lakh through small orders. Under the ordinary revenue policy, the annual milestone charge can become due even where each individual order is ₹10 lakh or less and therefore exempt from ordinary transaction charges. Track cumulative financial-year value as well as individual order bands.

An OEM wins a ₹60 crore Global Tender contract. The September 2026 Global Tender schedule gives a ₹15 lakh transaction fee before applicable tax; the ordinary domestic ₹3 lakh cap should not be used for this calculation.

An OEM dashboard disappears after assessment expiry. Check the assessment and supporting-licence validity before assuming a brand dispute. Restoring validation may not automatically restore every old catalogue; verify each stage of the selling journey.

Frequently asked questions#

Plan your next step#

For product-listing and unbranded-brand questions, continue to the GeM catalogue rules guide. For help organising the business records behind an application, explore business compliance services or discuss GeM OEM registration.

Have your category, constitution, OEM/reseller position, VA/VAE reference and precise deficiency ready. Those details help identify the actual step requiring support.

Editorial review and official sources#

The policy versions and retrieval date are recorded in this guide. GeM’s seller-support library, current GTC index and incident-policy index were checked to identify the linked documents. Dated training is used for the workflow it illustrates, with newer policies controlling the substantive requirements.

The guide excludes commercial registration summaries, Scribd copies and social-media claims as policy evidence. It does not infer a universal foreign-seller ban, blanket trademark-count restriction, fixed approval guarantee or automatic contract cancellation from an OEM-panel action. Official account notices, category requirements and subsequent amendments should be checked for the particular application.