Bharat Khera has assumed charge as Secretary in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, bringing with him over three decades of administrative experience across the Centre and state governments.
A 1995-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, Khera previously served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs. He also held a key role as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence from 2014 to 2020, where he handled matters related to the Indian Air Force and coordinated Republic Day celebrations for four consecutive years.
His tenure also included oversight of the Border Roads Organisation and defence cooperation initiatives.
Khera has also served in the Cabinet Secretariat, contributing to policy-making during the Covid-19 pandemic, and held several senior roles in the Himachal Pradesh government, including Home Secretary and Principal Secretary across multiple departments.
An engineering graduate from BITS Pilani, he holds a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University and has completed advanced public policy training at ISB, along with a Chevening Gurukul Fellowship at the London School of Economics.
As MSME Secretary, he is expected to play a key role in strengthening a sector that contributes over 30 per cent to India’s GDP and remains vital for employment, manufacturing, and exports.
