Government procurement in India
Project bidding, information on tenders, and the e-marketplace
The Central Public Procurement (CPP) Portal, designed to fulfill the electronic procurement and tendering requirements of Central Government Departments and other relevant organizations, has been developed, hosted, and implemented by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. This initiative was carried out in close collaboration with the Procurement Policy Division of the Ministry of Finance.
The primary objective of this portal is to offer a centralized access point for information concerning procurements carried out by various Ministries and line Departments. It is a mandatory requirement for all Central Government Ministries and Departments, Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), and Autonomous bodies to publish all their tender inquiries issued on or after the following dates on the CPP Portal:
- For Ministries and Departments and their attached and subordinate offices, starting from January 1, 2012
- For CPSEs, starting from February 1, 2012
- For autonomous or statutory bodies, starting from April 1, 2012
The CPP Portal serves as a versatile platform suitable for different procurement categories such as Goods, Services, and Works. Its primary emphasis lies in ensuring transparency and impartiality among bidders. This is achieved by granting open access to tender documents, clarifications, secure online bid submissions, and participation in bid opening events. This accessibility is guaranteed round the clock from any location through the Internet, establishing a swift and secure environment through the utilization of industry-standard open technologies.
The system has been created to cater to a diverse array of procurement requirements for various entities engaged in the procurement process. It is designed with a sturdy and adaptable workflow-based approach. This configuration can be applied by an organization at its topmost level and across multiple subordinate levels, allowing tenders to be independently initiated. The system is equipped with extensive security measures, such as two-factor authentication using Digital Signature Certificates (DSCs), a requirement even for foreign nationals to comply with the IT Act. It incorporates SSL security, Role-based User Access, and bid encryption at the client end, employing public key infrastructure (PKI) technologies.
Key features of the CPP portal
- A platform for the publication of tender and bid award details by Central and State Government Ministries, Departments, Organizations, Public sector undertakings/enterprises (PSUs), and Public sector banks (PSBs)
- Open access to tender documents for all parties
- Online publication of notice inviting tenders (NIT) via a web form
- Easy addition of corrigendum and documents
- Publication of bid award details along with contract documents
- No registration required for public access/viewing
- Email/SMS alerts at various milestones
- Toll-Free Help Line for assistance
- Categorization based on tender types, product categories, and types of organizations
- Archived tenders available to the public
- Search functionality using parameters like keywords, location, value, and organization.
Disclaimer
The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service in India recommends that readers seek professional advice regarding their particular circumstances. This publication should not be relied on as a substitute for such professional advice. The Government of Canada does not guarantee the accuracy of any of the information contained on this page. Readers should independently verify the accuracy and reliability of the information.
Content on this page is provided by Dezan Shira & Associates a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax, and operational advisory to international corporate investors.
