Bharat Khera assumes charge as MSME Secretary

Bharat Khera on Friday assumed charge as Union Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). A 1995-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, he brings over three decades of administrative experience across key roles at the Centre and in the states. He previously served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs.

During his tenure in the Government of India, 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 was also entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating national ceremonial events, including Republic Day celebrations, for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020.

He additionally oversaw matters related to the Border Roads Organisation and international cooperation in the Ministry of Defence. While serving in the Department of Defence Production, Khera was a member of the Board of Directors of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited, Goa Shipyard Limited and Hindustan Shipyard Limited. He contributed significantly to defence infrastructure projects and the promotion of the Make in India initiative.


Subsequently, Khera served as Joint Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat for nearly two years, where he handled the Commerce & Industry and Technology verticals and contributed to strategic policy-making during the Covid-19 pandemic. An Electronics Engineer from BITS Pilani, Shri Khera holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxwell School, Syracuse University, and has completed the Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy from the Indian School of Business (ISB). He was also a Chevening Gurukul Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

In the Government of Himachal Pradesh, Khera has held several important positions, including Home Secretary and Principal Secretary of departments such as Public Works, General Administration, State Taxes & Excise, Information & Public Relations, and Power. He also served as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. Earlier in his career, he worked as Managing Director of the State Road Transport Corporation, State Industrial Development Corporation and HPMC.