Key Points
- Bharat Khera takes charge as MSME secretary on 2 May 2025
- 1995-batch IAS officer served previously in defence and consumer affairs
- MSME sector contributes over 30 per cent to India's GDP
Bharat Khera, a 1995-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has assumed charge as secretary of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. He takes over at a ministry that oversees a sector contributing more than 30 per cent to India’s GDP.
Khera moves to the MSME ministry from the Department of Consumer Affairs, where he served as additional secretary. His three decades in the civil service include postings in defence, commerce and state-level administration in Himachal Pradesh.
Career in Defence and Central Government
Khera served for over five years as joint secretary in the Ministry of Defence from November 2014 to February 2020. As joint secretary (Air), he handled matters related to the Indian Air Force and coordinated national ceremonial events including Republic Day celebrations from 2017 to 2020.
During his time in the Department of Defence Production, he served on the boards of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, Goa Shipyard Limited and Hindustan Shipyard Limited.
He subsequently served as joint secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat for nearly two years, handling the commerce and industry and technology verticals.
State Government Experience
In the Himachal Pradesh government, Khera has held positions including home secretary and principal secretary of departments covering public works, general administration, state taxes and excise, information and public relations, and power. He also served as principal secretary to the chief minister.
Earlier in his career, he was managing director of the State Road Transport Corporation, State Industrial Development Corporation and HPMC.
Khera holds an electronics engineering degree from BITS Pilani and a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School, Syracuse University. He completed the Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy at the Indian School of Business and was a Chevening Gurukul Fellow at the London School of Economics.
The MSME sector employs a significant share of India’s workforce outside agriculture and accounts for a substantial portion of the country’s manufacturing output and exports.
Your Questions, Answered
Who is the new secretary of the Ministry of MSME?
Bharat Khera, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has assumed charge as secretary of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
What was Bharat Khera's previous posting?
Before taking charge as MSME secretary, Khera served as additional secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs.
What is Bharat Khera's educational background?
Khera holds an electronics engineering degree from BITS Pilani, a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University's Maxwell School, and completed programmes at ISB and the London School of Economics.
How much does the MSME sector contribute to India's GDP?
According to government data, the MSME sector contributes more than 30 per cent to India's GDP and plays a significant role in employment generation, manufacturing and exports.
