Patna: Bihar is witnessing a steady rise in self-employment as government-backed initiatives channel funds to young entrepreneurs, women and marginalised groups across the state.
Since its launch in 2018, the Chief Minister’s Entrepreneur Scheme has distributed Rs 3,125.52 crore to 43,870 beneficiaries. The programme provides up to Rs 10 lakh for setting up new industries, with half the amount given as a loan and the other half as a grant. Loans are offered at a nominal 1 percent interest rate to ease the burden on young entrepreneurs.
At a recent event organised by the Industries Department, Rs 62.10 crore was released as a second instalment to 1,333 beneficiaries for the financial year 2024-25. The distribution covered Scheduled Castes and Tribes (281), Extremely Backward Class (257), Youth (272), Women (286) and Minority groups (237).
Complementing this, the Bihar Small Entrepreneur Scheme, introduced in 2023-24 to support economically weaker families, has disbursed Rs 570 crore to 71,740 beneficiaries so far. The scheme offers grants of up to Rs 2 lakh in instalments to encourage self-reliance and small business ventures.
Officials say both schemes are designed to connect young people, women and disadvantaged communities to opportunities in entrepreneurship, marking a shift in the state’s economic development towards small-scale enterprise.
