The foundation stone for a new MSME Technology Centre at Khizarsarai in Gaya was laid by Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, marking a major step in strengthening the MSME ecosystem and industrial development in southern Bihar. The project carries an investment of Rs 1.7 billion (bn) and will be developed on a 20-acre site provided by the Bihar government. The facility will have a built-up area of about 16,800 square metres and will include production, training, utility and administrative blocks. About Rs 860 million (mn) is allocated for civil infrastructure and Rs 840 mn for plant and machinery, with additional provisions for a multipurpose hall, hostel and staff accommodation. The Centre will cater to general engineering, heavy engineering and textile testing and will serve MSMEs across Gaya, Aurangabad, Nawada, Nalanda, Jehanabad and Munger districts. Its services are intended to bridge technology gaps and support local manufacturing capabilities. The Centre will offer tooling and CNC machining, CAD/CAM/CAE facilities, rapid prototyping, Industry 4.0 laboratories and renewable energy solutions, alongside sector-specific testing. Training programmes will cover emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, data analytics, automation and VLSI, as well as prototyping and quality control. Business advisory services will include market research, product design, automation, digital marketing, supply chain management, innovation and incubation support. The Ministry of MSME anticipates the Centre will train around 7,000 youth annually and support more than 1,000 MSMEs each year through tooling and job-work services. The ministry noted that MSMEs contribute 31.1 per cent to GDP, account for 35 per cent of manufacturing output and contribute 48.5 per cent of exports, and that the sector employs about 382.1 mn people. In Bihar registered enterprises rose from 0.63 mn in 2023 to 4.76 mn in 2026 and employment reached 18.9 mn; MSME credit flow grew sixfold from Rs 167.54 bn to Rs 1.01 tn, while credit guarantee support expanded from Rs 116.39 bn to Rs 564.37 bn, and 2,871 MSMEs financed invoices worth Rs 109.72 bn.