12th PUBLIC PROCUREMENT SUMMIT 2026

Public procurement plays a vital role in strengthening governance, supporting infrastructure development, encouraging innovation, promoting domestic industry and ensuring the efficient, transparent and responsible utilisation of public funds. As government spending and public projects continue to expand across sectors, the procurement ecosystem has assumed greater importance in enabling timely project execution, value for money and effective delivery of public services. Over the years, procurement in India has evolved significantly, with greater emphasis on transparency, efficiency, accountability, technology adoption, competition and wider participation from industry.

Several initiatives, including the General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017, Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Guidelines and other policy and regulatory measures, have contributed towards strengthening the procurement framework and making processes more transparent, technology-enabled and accountable. The increasing adoption of digital platforms, e-tendering, data analytics, automation and other emerging technologies is further creating opportunities to simplify procurement processes, improve decision-making, enhance monitoring and strengthen the overall efficiency of public procurement.

At the same time, the rapidly changing economic, technological and regulatory environment presents new opportunities as well as challenges for procurement stakeholders. Ensuring effective competition, maintaining integrity and transparency, encouraging domestic value addition, improving supplier participation, managing contractual risks and achieving timely and cost-effective project execution remain important priorities. There is also a growing need to strengthen coordination between government departments, public sector organisations, procurement professionals, industry and technology providers to develop more responsive and future-ready procurement practices.

The Summit will provide a comprehensive platform for policymakers, senior government officials, PSUs, procurement professionals, industry leaders, technology providers, consultants, MSMEs, startups and other key stakeholders to exchange views, share experiences and deliberate on emerging trends and practical approaches for strengthening the public procurement ecosystem.

The deliberations will cover key aspects of the procurement lifecycle, including procurement planning, tendering and bidding processes, e-procurement, GeM, contract management, vendor and supply chain management, quality assurance, dispute resolution, transparency and vigilance mechanisms, Make in India provisions, global tendering practices and effective utilisation of technology in procurement. Discussions will also focus on the opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, automation, blockchain, digital contract management and predictive procurement in improving efficiency, monitoring and decision-making.

The Summit will further provide sectoral perspectives on procurement in Defence, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Railways, Energy and Urban Development, highlighting sector-specific requirements, procurement challenges and evolving practices. Deliberations will also cover World Bank procurement procedures and other intricacies of government procurement, providing participants with a broader understanding of domestic and international procurement frameworks.

The Summit aims to facilitate meaningful dialogue between the public and private sectors and encourage the exchange of knowledge, experiences and best practices. It will also provide opportunities for stakeholders to explore innovative solutions, strengthen institutional capabilities, improve industry-government engagement and contribute towards building a more transparent, efficient, accountable and future-ready public procurement ecosystem.