Patna: Bihar has provided financial assistance worth around ₹96 crore to 4,800 beneficiaries under the first phase of the Chief Minister Udyami Yojana for the financial year 2025-26. Each selected beneficiary received ₹2 lakh as the first instalment to help start or strengthen an enterprise.
Industry and Sports Minister Shreyasi Singh said the scheme is creating opportunities for young people and women to become entrepreneurs and generate employment at the local level. She was speaking at a one-day orientation and first-installment distribution programme for selected beneficiaries at Bapu Sabhagar in Patna on Thursday.
The minister said the opportunities created through the Chief Minister Udyami Yojana could help generate thousands of jobs in Bihar and beyond. She added that the state government remains focused on making young people self-reliant while creating employment opportunities within local communities.
Bihar Sees Youth as Human Capital
Shreyasi Singh said Bihar’s growing population and large young workforce should not be viewed as a weakness. Instead, she described the state’s youth population as a major strength and an important form of human capital.
She also highlighted the proposed Bihar MSME Policy 2026, which, according to the minister, is expected to support the creation of more than one crore direct and indirect employment opportunities.
The focus on entrepreneurship is significant for a state where many young people have traditionally moved outside Bihar in search of work. By supporting small businesses and local enterprises, the government is seeking to create more opportunities closer to home.
Women and Youth Moving From Job Seekers to Job Creators
Minority Welfare Minister Mohammad Jama Khan said young people represent one of the biggest strengths of a changing Bihar.
He said lack of capital often prevented people from turning their business ideas into reality. Financial assistance under the Chief Minister Udyami Yojana is helping address that barrier and giving aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to start their own ventures.
The initiative is also encouraging women and young people to move beyond seeking employment and become employers themselves. This can create a wider impact as new enterprises begin hiring workers within their communities.
New Businesses Emerging Beyond Traditional Livelihoods
BC and EBC Welfare Minister Rama Nishad said the scheme is encouraging self-employment in rural areas beyond traditional farming and other conventional occupations.
According to her, beneficiaries are entering newer sectors such as toy manufacturing, information technology and ready-made garments. Such diversification can give rural entrepreneurs access to markets and business opportunities beyond agriculture.
The expansion of small enterprises in these sectors can also support local supply chains, services and employment while encouraging young people to consider entrepreneurship as a career option.
Five Jobs From One Entrepreneur Can Create a Wider Impact
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Welfare Minister Lakhendra Kumar Raushan highlighted the potential multiplier effect of the scheme.
He said if 45,000 young entrepreneurs eventually provide employment to five people each, around 2.5 lakh people could become self-reliant.
The statement underlines the broader objective behind entrepreneurship support. The impact of a government-backed enterprise scheme is not limited to the person receiving financial assistance. A successful business can create additional jobs, demand for local services and new opportunities for other workers.
The orientation programme was also presented as part of Bihar’s wider effort to promote industrialisation and strengthen the state’s economic base.
Beneficiaries Share Their Business Journeys
The programme also brought beneficiaries into focus, with entrepreneurs sharing how financial support helped them turn their business plans into reality.
Mohammad Muzammil Ansari, who runs a boutique business in Patna, said the financial assistance under the Chief Minister Udyami Yojana supported his work. He wants to expand his business and connect more people with his enterprise by creating employment opportunities.
Virat Kumar from Begusarai said the scheme helped him start a small manufacturing unit. He said new industries are emerging in Bihar and that the government’s focus on enabling young people to find employment within the state is becoming visible on the ground.
Tanveer Alam, who runs a salon in Kankarbagh, Patna, said he previously worked at someone else’s salon and lacked the money to start his own business. Assistance under the scheme helped him realise that goal. His salon now employs seven other young men.
Government Pushes Local Entrepreneurship
The programme was attended by Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, Industry Department Secretary Kundan Kumar, Chief Minister’s Secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh, Sandeep R. Pudukkalkatty, Director Aman Sameer, BIADA Managing Director Naveen Kumar and other officials.
The first-phase assistance to 4,800 beneficiaries represents a direct push towards small-scale entrepreneurship. More importantly, the experiences shared by beneficiaries show how financial support can translate into businesses that provide employment to others.
With the proposed Bihar MSME Policy 2026 and continued support for entrepreneurs, the state is placing local enterprise, youth participation and employment generation at the centre of its development strategy.
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