By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: ‘Odisha Startup Yatra and Startup Xpress 2023’ was on Monday inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar on Monday. The programme aims to encourage grassroots innovators and promote entrepreneurship among them to achieve 5,000 start-ups by 2025.
Industry, MSME and Energy Minister Pratap Keshari Deb, Secretary to CM (5T) VK Pandian , MSME Principal Secretary Saswat Mishra and Director Dr Omkar Rai were among those attended the function.
This edition of the initiatives is 2.5 times bigger than the past and will witness incremental growth connecting more than 25,000 students from over 260 institutions to generate more than 3,500 ideas to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. To ensure maximum coverage and efficiency, Startup Odisha will have 4 dedicated vans covering all 30 districts with different
50 shortlisted ideas from Startup Yatra will be invited for a 3-day Acceleration programme. Thereafter, the top 25 Ideas will be invited to O-Hub for the demo day out of which 10 will be awarded seed funding worth Rs 3 lakh each to develop their ideas into viable startup ventures.
Additionally, the top 20 ideas from Startup Xpress 2023 will be invited for final pitching out of which 10 ideas will be awarded with a cash prize of Rs 10,000 each to encourage these young students and build their entrepreneurial spirit.
Young entrepreneurs will be the force behind the future economic growth and development in Odisha, ushering in an era of innovation and prosperity for the state.
It may be mentioned here that Startup Odisha under the MSME Dept. Govt. of Odisha as the Nodal agency for building the startup and innovation ecosystem in the state, came into existence in 2016 with Odisha Startup Policy-2016. The vision is to introduce a holistic and inclusive ecosystem for the existing and aspiring startups, establish itself as one of the top startup hubs in the country, and enable the youth of Odisha to become job creators and support the state in employment generation.
Since its inception, Startup Odisha has been home to the best entrepreneurial minds & has already supported and facilitated more than 1700+ Startups, with 600+ startups led by women directors, founders and co-founders.
Startup Odisha has been continuously evolving in its Policy measures, always ensuring to have a responsive policy framework. We have been the top-performing Startup Hubs for three consecutive years in the country.
Startup Odisha provides various benefits to recognised startups like monthly allowances, product development and marketing/ publicity assistance, need-based assistance, subsidised Incubation and financial support for participation in national and international events.
Overview of Startup Odisha Ecosystem
1700+ Recognised Startups
600+ Women Lead Startups
4 Lakh Sq. Ft O-Hub Incubation Centre for Startups
27 Incubators
15 Nodal Agencies
200+ Mentors
75+ E Cells
15 R&D Centres
15,000+ Jobs Generated
350.42 Crore Revenue Generated by Startups in FY: 2021 – 22
100 Crore Odisha Startup Growth Fund for Startups
21 Crore monetary benefits sanctioned to startups
357 Crore external investment raised by startups
In recent years, Odisha has embarked on a remarkable journey towards achieving socio-economic empowerment. This transformation is underpinned by strategic investments in diverse sectors, including education, health, infrastructure, industries and sport.
Marking a promising chapter in its ongoing development, the state is steadfastly working towards building a conducive startup ecosystem and these initiatives are a testament to it.
