Structural Characteristics and Shop-Floor Production Technology among Bakery MSMEs in Cachar District, North-East India: A Field-Verified Registry Study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Purpose: Food processing contributes about 7.93 percent of manufacturing Gross Value Added and 20.4 percent of India’s agri-food exports, yet MSMEbased food processing in North-East India remains underdeveloped due to weak infrastructure and low technology adoption. This study examines enterprise scale, ownership pattern, and operational realities of bakery MSMEs in Cachar district, Barak Valley, a region with 940 registered food processing units and almost no prior empirical study. Research Methodology: Secondary data were drawn from the District Industries and Commerce Centre, covering 390 bakery and 550 cereal-based units across Cachar, Hailakandi, and Sribhumi districts up to 2024-25. Primary data came from 33 bakery owners in Cachar district through structured interviews using stratified random sampling. Field visits verified DICC records against ground reality. Chisquare tests of independence were applied. Findings: Micro-scale sole proprietorships dominate the sector, with micro units forming 98.5 percent of registered establishments and proprietary ownership 70 percent. Scale and ownership pattern are significantly associated. Scale and product type show no significant association, so micro units match small units in product range. No fully automated unit was found in the sample. Originality/value: This is the first empirical study to test associations among enterprise scale, ownership pattern, product type, and product line among bakery MSMEs in Barak Valley, North-East India, offering original evidence on enterprise structure and technology adoption in this under-researched region. Keywords: Micro Bakeries, Enterprise Structure, Technology Adoption, MSME, Barak Valley, North-East India, Food Processing.
Source: Sri Lankan Journal of Management
Language: English
Topic: Firm Innovation and Growth
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7204090820