The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is where many government buyers purchase drones, drone electronics and training. This checklist covers what to confirm before you place the order. It is a summary, not procurement advice. Follow your organisation's procurement rules.
What GeM is
- GeM is the government's online marketplace, launched on 9 August 2016.
- It is run by GeM SPV, a government-owned company under the Department of Commerce.
- Central and state ministries, departments, public sector undertakings, autonomous bodies and local bodies buy on it.
- Buyers can purchase directly, compare offers, run an electronic bid or hold a reverse auction, depending on value and their rules.
- Large defence capital purchases usually follow the Defence Acquisition Procedure instead. Check which route applies to your purchase.
1. Check the local content class
The Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017 gives preference to local suppliers.
| Class | Local content |
|---|---|
| Class-I local supplier | 50% or more |
| Class-II local supplier | More than 20%, less than 50% |
- In 2024 the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade tightened how local content is counted. Imported items resold locally, foreign royalties and licence fees, and rebranded goods no longer count as local.
- Ask the supplier for its local content declaration and how it was calculated.
2. Check the land-border rule
- Since 23 July 2020, an order under Rule 144(xi) of the General Financial Rules restricts bidders from countries that share a land border with India.
- Such bidders must be registered with a committee under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade to bid.
- The rule also limits sub-contracting to them on works and turnkey contracts.
3. Ask for the bill of materials with country of origin
- A local content figure does not tell you where each part comes from.
- Ask for the bill of materials with the country of origin of each component: flight controller, GNSS module, ESC, battery cells, motors, propellers, camera and radio.
- If your requirement says "no Chinese components", make the bill of materials a deliverable in the order.
4. Check the drone against the Drone Rules
- Confirm the weight category with payload.
- Confirm who registers the drone on Digital Sky and who holds the unique identification number.
- Confirm whether your operators need remote pilot certificates and how they will get them.
5. Ask for the datasheet and a demonstration
- Ask for the full datasheet before you finalise the specification.
- Where the value justifies it, ask for a demonstration with your operators.
6. Buy training and support with the drones
- Training: who trains your operators and technicians, and for how long.
- Spares: which parts you can replace in the field, and the lead time for the rest.
- Maintenance: whether there is an annual maintenance contract, what it covers and what it costs.
- Support hours and the number to call.
Where StellarGen fits
- StellarGen Aerospace is a registered seller on GeM.
- No Chinese components. Government buyers receive the bill of materials with country of origin on order.
- Training, 24x7 technical support and AMC at component cost only.
Sources
- Drishti IAS, 10 years of Government e-Marketplace, August 2026: https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/10-years-of-government-e-marketplace-gem/print_manually
- YourStory, revision of local content rules, July 2024: https://cwv.yourstory.com/2024/07/government-revises-local-content-rules-to-boost-make-in-india-preference
- HSA Advocates, restrictions on bidders from land-border countries, September 2020: https://hsalegal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/HSA-Corp-Comm-Law-Policy-Restrictions-in-bidding-process-for-public-procurement-contracts.pdf