OEM Registration —
Get Recognised as a Manufacturer
and Win Direct Contracts

GeM Seller Registration allows any business — manufacturer or trader — to list products and sell to government. OEM registration on GeM specifically establishes you as the manufacturer of the product, unlocking manufacturer-only bids, rate contracts, and GeM's Make in India preference. Vendor Assessment (NSIC, CRISIL, D&B) is a financial and operational credibility assessment — it rates your business quality and finances, but does not establish product manufacturing status. OEM registration is product-specific — it registers you as the manufacturer of a specific product or product line with a specific buyer. All three may be needed: vendor assessment establishes business credibility, GeM registration provides the selling platform, and OEM registration establishes manufacturer status on that platform.

RDSO (Research Designs and Standards Organisation) is the technical arm of Indian Railways that specifies, approves, and monitors all safety-critical and important components used across India's rail network. For any component covered by an RDSO specification, only firms on the RDSO Approved Sources List can supply to Indian Railways — not traders, not generic manufacturers. The approval process has two stages: (1) Developmental Vendor status — you apply, submit technical documents (capability statement, quality plan, test reports, drawing compliance), and if found eligible, RDSO grants developmental status to supply initial trial quantities; (2) Regular Vendor status — after successful trial supply with acceptable inspection reports and field performance, RDSO upgrades you to Regular status enabling full supply to all Railway Zones. TaxClue has experience with RDSO applications across multiple specification categories and manages the complete process from document preparation to developmental order to Regular vendor conversion.

Yes — and the current defence procurement policy is specifically designed to bring MSMEs and startups into the defence supply chain under Atmanirbhar Bharat. Key programmes available to MSMEs and startups include: (1) iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) — DIPP and MoD initiative giving startups and MSMEs access to paid development contracts worth up to ₹1.5 crore to develop defence technology products; (2) DRDO Technology Transfer to MSMEs — DRDO transfers proven technologies to domestic manufacturers for production under licence; (3) DPSUs MSME Vendor Development — HAL, BEL, BDL each have MSME vendor development programmes where small manufacturers can get mentored into the defence supply chain; (4) Positive Indigenisation List — products on the PIL list are reserved for domestic manufacturers regardless of size; an MSME making a PIL-notified product competes only with other domestic OEMs, not with global defence primes. TaxClue advises on which programme is most appropriate based on your product and current development stage.

Timeline and validity vary significantly by channel. GeM OEM listing: 1–2 weeks after documents are ready; valid until you update or remove it. PSU OEM empanelment (BHEL, ONGC, NTPC): 6–12 weeks including plant inspection; typically valid for 2–3 years with annual renewal. Indian Railways RDSO: Developmental status within 3–6 months of application; Regular status requires 1–3 years of successful developmental supply. Defence OEM (DRDO / DPSUs): 3–12 months depending on product complexity and security clearance requirements. Corporate OEM programmes (Tata, L&T): typically 4–8 weeks for initial empanelment; reviewed annually. Rate Contracts: once OEM empanelment is in place, RC negotiation takes 1–3 months. TaxClue maintains renewal calendars for all OEM registrations — lapsed OEM status removes you from the approved list and can cause existing orders to be cancelled.

Yes — existing supply history is one of the strongest elements of an OEM registration application. It demonstrates that the buyer has already accepted your product quality, your delivery capability, and your business reliability. For buyers who require a track record, purchase orders, delivery challans, and inspection/acceptance notes from past supplies are submitted as evidence. Where you have been supplying through a middleman or as a sub-supplier (which is common), TaxClue advises on how to document and present this history. For buyers where you have no prior supply history, TaxClue identifies alternative evidence — independent test reports from accredited labs, BIS certification, field trials at non-government customers — that can substitute for a direct government supply track record. Contact TaxClue with your specific situation and we will advise on the strongest possible application strategy.