Impact of Bihar Entrepreneurship Scheme on Migrant Worker Retention and Socio-Economic Development: A Comprehensive Analysis

Abstract

Migration of skilled and unskilled workers from Bihar has been a persistent challenge hindering the state's development trajectory. This study examines the impact of the Chief Minister's Entrepreneurship Scheme (CMES) launched in 2017-18 as a strategic intervention to retain migrant workforce and foster entrepreneurial ecosystem development. Through exploratory factor analysis of primary data collected from 847 beneficiaries across multiple demographic categories, this research identifies four key motivational dimensions influencing entrepreneurial participation: Family-Centric Motivation, Programmatic and Social Support, Structural and Resource Factors, and Autonomy and Accessibility. The findings reveal that the scheme has effectively targeted marginalized communities, with Economically Backward Castes (EBC) showing the highest participation rates (42%), followed by Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (31%) and Youth categories (23%). The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy (0.848) and Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient (0.867) validate the robustness of the analytical framework. These results demonstrate the scheme's potential as a replicable model for addressing migration-induced development challenges in similar economic contexts.