- You need a Class 3 DSC — Class 2 has been discontinued since 2021.
- Buy a Class 3 DSC with signing + encryption (often called a "combo"). Signing alone works on many portals, but some websites need encryption as well — and you don't want to find that out the night before a bid.
- For tendering, get an organisation DSC in your firm's name (portals like IREPS check the firm name).
- The DSC lives on a USB token; validity is usually 1, 2 or 3 years; cost is roughly ₹1,500 – ₹5,000 depending on type, validity and token.
A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is your identity online. When you submit an e-tender, your DSC "signs" the bid — proving it came from you and hasn't been changed. Without a valid DSC, you can't register or bid on most government e-procurement portals.
Class 3 — the only class now
Certifying Authorities stopped issuing Class 2 certificates from 2021. Today, individual signing certificates are Class 3, and they are accepted wherever Class 2 used to be. If someone offers you a "Class 2 DSC", it is outdated information.
Signing vs encryption
| SIGNING CERTIFICATE | ENCRYPTION CERTIFICATE | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Proves who you are; makes documents tamper-evident | Locks (encrypts) data so only the intended person can open it |
| On e-tender portals | Needed for login, signing documents and submitting bids | Required by some portals for bid encryption |
On the Central eProcurement portal (CPPP) and NIC portals, bidders need a Class 3 signing certificate; bids are encrypted using the bid openers' certificates. But some portals (for example MSTC, and some PSU portals) require bidders to have an encryption certificate too. A combo DSC covers both, and costs only a little more.
Individual or organisation DSC?
- Individual DSC — in a person's name only. Fine for personal use (like income tax filing).
- Organisation DSC — in the person's name and the organisation's name. This is what tenders usually need: the firm's name must match exactly what you register on the portal.
How to get a DSC
- Choose a licensed Certifying Authority (or its reseller) — for example eMudhra, Capricorn, (n)Code, Sify, Vsign, Protean and others licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA).
- Complete eKYC — Aadhaar OTP / offline, PAN, or banking eKYC; PAN is verified with Income Tax.
- For an organisation DSC, give proof of the organisation and your authority: for example GST verification, or bank statement + registration certificate + PAN, plus an authorisation letter / board resolution if you are not the proprietor, partner or director.
- Complete the short video verification.
- The DSC is downloaded onto your USB token.
Rajesh is a partner in "Shree Ganesh Engineering". He buys a Class 3 organisation combo DSC, 2 years, in his name with the firm's name. He uses it to register on CPPP, the state portal and IREPS — and his firm name on each portal matches the DSC exactly.
What about GeM?
GeM doesn't make a DSC compulsory for every seller — it accepts Aadhaar eSign or a DSC for key actions, and has been phasing out OTP-only authentication for steps like bid submission and invoicing. If you already have a DSC for tenders, you can use it on GeM too.
- Buying an individual DSC when the portal needs the firm's name.
- Buying signing-only, then finding a portal that needs encryption the night before a bid.
- Letting the DSC expire — renew a few weeks early, and update the new DSC on every portal.
- Using an employee's personal DSC for the firm — when they leave, your access goes with them.
SOURCES · CCA Identity Verification Guidelines v2.6 (June 2026); CCA list of licensed CAs; NIC guidelines for bid submission (eprocure.gov.in); MSTC DSC guide; GeM notices on eSign / DSC. Prices are indicative market ranges. Checked October 2026.
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Hiral Dron
Founder, Tender Training India · GeM Gold Certified · 15+ years in tendering, GeM and procurement advisory. Training MSMEs in government tendering since 2016.