New Delhi, Dec. 22 -- The State-run Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal has become a major support system for domestic micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with their membership on the platform crossing over 1.12 million, securing orders worth Rs.7.44 lakh crore as of November 30, about 44.8% of total transactions of the portal, the commerce and industry ministry said. The cumulative transactions of MSMEs far exceeded the mandated annual procurement target of 25%, which reflects an expanding role of smaller enterprises in public procurement, it said in a statement on Sunday. Similarly, GeM provides opportunities to women entrepreneurs, businesses run by underprivileged sections of society such as scheduled caste and scheduled tribes and startups to participate in government procurement and secure orders across sectors, it said. Women-led enterprises have also registered increased participation on the platform. More than 2 lakh women-owned enterprises are currently active on GeM and have secured cumulative orders worth Rs.78,066 crore, it said. "Their participation is supported through initiatives such as 'Womaniya', which focus on onboarding, training and improving access to procurement opportunities for women entrepreneurs," it added. Citing an example of active participation of micro and small enterprises (MSEs), it said that in November this year, a women-led MSE from Gujarat's Vadodara supplied renewable energy solutions valued at over Rs.53 crore to the Department of Heavy Industries (DHI). During the same period, an MSE owned by an underprivileged community entrepreneur from Nagpur in Maharashtra supported surveillance infrastructure valued at Rs.29 crore for the Central government, it said. A startup based in Mumbai delivered technology services amounting to Rs.191 crore, securing high-value contracts within a short period of scaling up operations, it added....