Bhubaneswar: To promote startup ideas and entrepreneurship at grassroots level, Odisha government will organise Startup Yatra and Startup Xpress, 2023, covering all districts of the state.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will inaugurate the programme organised by the MSME department here September 11, MSME Minister Pratap Keshari Deb told reporters here.
As Odisha marches towards its mission of 5,000 startups by 2025, Odisha Startup Yatra and Startup Xpress 2023 will be pivotal in bringing innovative ideas to the forefront, the minister said.
He said with a track record of nurturing innovation, fostering entrepreneurship, and providing robust support to women entrepreneurs, these initiatives stand as a transformative experience, poised to accelerate the startup ecosystem’s growth.
Through a series of engaging initiatives, including both van camps and boot camps for scouting innovative ideas, Startup Odisha will engage with over 25,000 students involving more than 200 colleges and 60 schools across the state.
The top 25 ideas will be invited to O-Hub (the startup hub building) for demo, out of which 10 will be awarded with seed funding worth Rs 3 lakh each to develop their ideas into viable startup ventures, Deb said.
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A dedicated mobile application has been developed to collect the innovative ideas from the young innovators, he said.
Additionally, 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.
“The programme is set to empower students, providing them with valuable insights, opportunities to pitch their ideas, and a clear pathway to help them build successful startups. The enthusiasm and eagerness of our youth to bring new ideas to life will exemplify the transformative power of entrepreneurship,” said Saswat Mishra, principal secretary, MSME department.
PTI