diff --git a/.changeset/silent-lobsters-tease.md b/.changeset/silent-lobsters-tease.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2dea26d8ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/silent-lobsters-tease.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/cli': patch
+---
+
+The `backendPlugin` and `backendModule` factory now includes a step for automatically adding the new backend plugin/module to the `index.ts` file of the backend.
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendModule.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendModule.test.ts
index 78ef5f96bb..2d6a4c9c83 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendModule.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendModule.test.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ import {
 import { backendModule } from './backendModule';
 import { createMockDirectory } from '@backstage/backend-test-utils';
 
+const backendIndexTsContent = `
+import { createBackend } from '@backstage/backend-defaults';
+
+const backend = createBackend();
+
+backend.start();
+`;
+
 describe('backendModule factory', () => {
   const mockDir = createMockDirectory();
 
@@ -44,6 +52,9 @@ describe('backendModule factory', () => {
       packages: {
         backend: {
           'package.json': JSON.stringify({}),
+          src: {
+            'index.ts': backendIndexTsContent,
+          },
         },
       },
       plugins: {},
@@ -86,8 +97,20 @@ describe('backendModule factory', () => {
       'Installing:',
       `moving        plugins${sep}test-backend-module-tester-two`,
       'backend       adding dependency',
+      'backend       adding module',
     ]);
 
+    await expect(
+      fs.readFile(mockDir.resolve('packages/backend/src/index.ts'), 'utf8'),
+    ).resolves.toBe(`
+import { createBackend } from '@backstage/backend-defaults';
+
+const backend = createBackend();
+
+backend.add(import('backstage-plugin-test-backend-module-tester-two'));
+backend.start();
+`);
+
     await expect(
       fs.readJson(mockDir.resolve('packages/backend/package.json')),
     ).resolves.toEqual({
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendModule.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendModule.ts
index 698146a229..67860b812e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendModule.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendModule.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import camelCase from 'lodash/camelCase';
 import { paths } from '../../paths';
 import { addCodeownersEntry, getCodeownersFilePath } from '../../codeowners';
 import { CreateContext, createFactory } from '../types';
-import { addPackageDependency, Task } from '../../tasks';
+import { addPackageDependency, addToBackend, Task } from '../../tasks';
 import {
   moduleIdIdPrompt,
   ownerPrompt,
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@ export const backendModule = createFactory<Options>({
       });
     }
 
+    await addToBackend(name, {
+      type: 'module',
+    });
+
     if (options.owner) {
       await addCodeownersEntry(`/plugins/${dirName}`, options.owner);
     }
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendPlugin.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendPlugin.test.ts
index c5930592a3..f6eeb8cf33 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendPlugin.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendPlugin.test.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ import {
 import { backendPlugin } from './backendPlugin';
 import { createMockDirectory } from '@backstage/backend-test-utils';
 
+const backendIndexTsContent = `
+import { createBackend } from '@backstage/backend-defaults';
+
+const backend = createBackend();
+
+backend.start();
+`;
+
 describe('backendPlugin factory', () => {
   const mockDir = createMockDirectory();
 
@@ -44,6 +52,9 @@ describe('backendPlugin factory', () => {
       packages: {
         backend: {
           'package.json': JSON.stringify({}),
+          src: {
+            'index.ts': backendIndexTsContent,
+          },
         },
       },
       plugins: {},
@@ -89,6 +100,7 @@ describe('backendPlugin factory', () => {
       'Installing:',
       `moving        plugins${sep}test-backend`,
       'backend       adding dependency',
+      'backend       adding plugin',
     ]);
 
     await expect(
@@ -99,6 +111,17 @@ describe('backendPlugin factory', () => {
       },
     });
 
+    await expect(
+      fs.readFile(mockDir.resolve('packages/backend/src/index.ts'), 'utf8'),
+    ).resolves.toBe(`
+import { createBackend } from '@backstage/backend-defaults';
+
+const backend = createBackend();
+
+backend.add(import('backstage-plugin-test-backend'));
+backend.start();
+`);
+
     expect(Task.forCommand).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
     expect(Task.forCommand).toHaveBeenCalledWith('yarn install', {
       cwd: mockDir.resolve('plugins/test-backend'),
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendPlugin.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendPlugin.ts
index 09ea98fbe7..fc77896461 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendPlugin.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/new/factories/backendPlugin.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import camelCase from 'lodash/camelCase';
 import { paths } from '../../paths';
 import { addCodeownersEntry, getCodeownersFilePath } from '../../codeowners';
 import { CreateContext, createFactory } from '../types';
-import { addPackageDependency, Task } from '../../tasks';
+import { addPackageDependency, addToBackend, Task } from '../../tasks';
 import { ownerPrompt, pluginIdPrompt } from './common/prompts';
 import { executePluginPackageTemplate } from './common/tasks';
 import { resolvePackageName } from './common/util';
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ export const backendPlugin = createFactory<Options>({
           },
         );
       });
+
+      await addToBackend(name, {
+        type: 'plugin',
+      });
     }
 
     if (options.owner) {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/tasks.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/tasks.ts
index 851f962c62..ffff2892fb 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/tasks.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/tasks.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { basename, dirname } from 'path';
 import recursive from 'recursive-readdir';
 import { exec as execCb } from 'child_process';
 import { assertError } from '@backstage/errors';
+import { paths } from './paths';
 
 const exec = promisify(execCb);
 
@@ -196,3 +197,37 @@ export async function addPackageDependency(
     throw new Error(`Failed to add package dependencies, ${error}`);
   }
 }
+
+export async function addToBackend(
+  name: string,
+  options: {
+    type: 'plugin' | 'module';
+  },
+) {
+  if (await fs.pathExists(paths.resolveTargetRoot('packages/backend'))) {
+    await Task.forItem('backend', `adding ${options.type}`, async () => {
+      const backendFilePath = paths.resolveTargetRoot(
+        'packages/backend/src/index.ts',
+      );
+      if (!(await fs.pathExists(backendFilePath))) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const content = await fs.readFile(backendFilePath, 'utf8');
+      const lines = content.split('\n');
+      const backendAddLine = `backend.add(import('${name}'));`;
+
+      const backendStartIndex = lines.findIndex(line =>
+        line.match(/backend.start/),
+      );
+
+      if (backendStartIndex !== -1) {
+        const [indentation] = lines[backendStartIndex].match(/^\s*/)!;
+        lines.splice(backendStartIndex, 0, `${indentation}${backendAddLine}`);
+
+        const newContent = lines.join('\n');
+        await fs.writeFile(backendFilePath, newContent, 'utf8');
+      }
+    });
+  }
+}