The foundation stone for a new Technology Centre at Khizarsarai in Gaya district was laid by the Union MSME Minister and the Bihar Chief Minister, marking a step towards strengthening the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) ecosystem and industrial development in southern Bihar. The project involves an investment of Rs 1.7 billion (bn) and is intended to enhance local manufacturing capacities. The centre is expected to serve several neighbouring districts.

Senior ministry officials cited national statistics to underline the sector's importance and outlined recent registration and employment trends. MSMEs were said to contribute 31.1 per cent to gross domestic product, account for 35 per cent of manufacturing output and supply 48.5 per cent of exports. The sector was described as the second largest employer after agriculture, providing employment to 382.1 million (mn) people and registering around 86.1 million (mn) enterprises on the Udyam platforms while unincorporated non agricultural establishments number about 73 million (mn).

State level growth in Bihar was highlighted, with registered enterprises rising from 0.63 million to 4.76 million between 2023 and 2026 and current employment of about 18.9 million (mn). Bank credit to MSMEs in Bihar was reported to have grown from Rs 167.54 billion (bn) to Rs 1.01 trillion (tn) over the last decade, while credit guarantee support expanded from Rs 116.39 billion (bn) in 2022 to Rs 564.37 billion (bn) in 2026. Participation on the TReDS platform was noted at 2,871 MSMEs financing invoices worth Rs 109.72 billion (bn).

The Technology Centre will be built on a 20 acre site with a built up area of around 16,800 square metres and will include production, training, utility and administrative blocks together with a multipurpose hall, hostel and staff accommodation. The investment split includes Rs 860 million (mn) for civil infrastructure and Rs 840 million (mn) for plant and machinery. The facility will provide tooling and CNC machining, CAD/CAM services, Industry 4.0 laboratories and training in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and data analytics, and is projected to train 7,000 youth and support over 1,000 MSMEs annually.