Gandhiji named this Ashram after Maganlal Gandhi, his close associate and a rural scientist who had been his right hand in all the earlier three Ashrams but who suddenly died while working, at his behest, in Bihar in 1928. The main objective of Magan Sangrahalaya Samiti (MSS) is to bring to the fore indigenous skills of the village artisans, stemming from the accumulated traditional knowledge, and facilitate its interaction with the recent knowledge of science and technology. To innovate technologies that could be converted into sustainable trades at the grassroots level.

The other objectives are research, development and dissemination of Khadi and village industries, agriculture, animal husbandary & dairy. Display and demonstrate their production processes; organize and develop the museum; run library and documentation unit; and conduct research and training in related subjects. To undertake activities related to Nai Talim (Gandhi’s basic education), Bhudan, Gramdan (Vinoba’s gift of land), Shanti Sena (peace mission), etc.