Bhubaneswar: Startup Odisha, an initiative of the state MSME department, is organising Startup Utsavv, 2024 here January 31 to celebrate the state’s innovation and entrepreneurship culture. As per sources, the event, which will feature awards and felicitations, will also witness signing of memorandum of understanding (MOUs) between industry leaders from ICAI, NIF, ISBA and NRDC. The event will also have ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions with experts on subjects such as blockchain ecosystem of India and masterclasses for founders on design thinking, role of academic institution and incubators and intellectual property institutional support for entrepreneurship.
The event will be attended by Industry, Energy, and MSME minister Pratap Keshari Deb, Subroto Bagchi, chief advisor to the state government (institutional capacity building), Pradeep Kumar Jena, Chief Secretary, Omkar Rai, executive chairman of Startup Odisha as well as Anu Garg, additional chief secretary-cum-development commissioner and Saswata Mishra, MSME principal secretary. The event will celebrate personalities in the startup ecosystem with awards like Incubator of the Year, Supportive Incubator of the Year, and Emerging Incubator of the Year. It will also offer recognition to top innovators from Odisha Startup Yatra and Odisha Startup Xpress, rewarding top ten innovators from each programme. “The event will feature the launch of Startup Yatra Booklets and Brochures. Additionally, it will shine a spotlight on student and women-led startups, and showcase the outstanding achievements of 122 Startup Odisha Grantees from 2022-23 and 51 Startup Odisha Grantees from 2023-24. 50 innovators from both Startup Yatra and Xpress will also be felicitated,” said an official.