Odisha has unveiled the Odisha Startup Yatra and Startup Express 2023 initiatives, aimed at empowering grassroots youth to explore innovation and entrepreneurship. These programs will kick off with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s inauguration on September 11.
Startup Odisha plans to collaborate with educational institutions across 30 districts, engaging more than 25,000 students from over 200 colleges and 60 schools. The initiatives will include activities like van camps and boot camps to discover innovative ideas. As part of these efforts, Startup Odisha will organize over 260 van camps in colleges and schools, followed by 120 boot camps, generating more than 3,500 ideas.
Briefing media persons, Industries, MSME, and Energy Minister Pratap Keshari Deb said as Odisha marches towards its mission of 5,000 startups by 2025, the two initiatives will be pivotal in bringing innovative ideas to the forefront. “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 and success in the state,” he said.
The previous edition of Startup Odisha Yatra attracted 10,270 students from over 100 colleges, resulting in the selection of 22 top ideas for an acceleration program. The upcoming edition is expected to generate at least 50 top ideas, with the top 25 invited to O-Hub for a demo day. The best 10 ideas will receive seed funding of Rs 3,00,000 each to develop their startup ventures. A dedicated mobile application has been created to collect innovative ideas from young innovators.
Additionally, the top 20 ideas from Startup Express 2023 will be invited for final pitching, and 10 will receive a cash prize of Rs 10,000 each. Executive Chairman of Startup Odisha Omkar Rai and Principal Secretary of the MSME department Saswat Mishra were present at the announcement.