OdishaPlus Bureau
Recently the Odisha government has approved a proposal to establish startup hubs in major cities of the state. The idea is to boost the ecosystem for emerging businesses.
The Odisha government has last week approved a proposal to establish start-up hubs in major cities of the state. The idea is to boost the ecosystem for emerging businesses.Chief Secretary AP Padhi, while reviewing the progress of the startup policy implementation, has directed officials to prepare a detailed business plan of the proposed hubs for its effective management and operation.
Top Performer
This startup hub proposal along with Odisha’s emergence as a ‘Top Performer among the States’ Startup Ranking 2018 is good news for entrepreneurs and should go a long way in creating a favorable atmosphere. According to LN Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, MSME, twenty-seven states and three Union Territories had participated in the ranking. The ranking was done on the basis of 38 parameters in seven key reform areas such as policy implementation, incubation support, and seed funding support, angel and venture capital funding support. The exercise, initiated by the Department for Promotion of (DPIIT), Government of India, aims to review the startup ecosystem of various states, while encouraging budding entrepreneurs to work on their business ideas.
Start-up Friendly
As stated by the MSME department – GoO, some six hundred startup ventures have been registered through the Odisha Startup Portal. Of these, 423 have been recognized by the startup council which includes 138 women-led startups. This has been possible for the continuous effort made by the Odisha government in creating a start-up friendly environment in the state.
Furthermore, 73 start-ups and incubators have been awarded financial grant and other supports. A total of 110 mentors are registered and 12 incubators have been made functional along with 12 nodal agencies who would recommend ground-breaking start-ups.
While the Odisha government aims to attract investors, a national level start-up conclave is on the cards soon to prop up the local start-up network. The conclave is expected to attract more investors as well as start-up brains.
What is needed is close coordination between the centre and the state in furthering the start-up ecosystem in Odisha.
New Ministers
Meanwhile, Capt. Dibya Shankar Mishra has taken over as the MSME minister and in the first meeting itself, he urged the officials to set up Start-up Development Cells in the major districts. He further advised to initiate setting up of an Innovation /Startup Park in the capital on the pattern of T-Hub in Hyderabad or ‘Makers Village’ in Kerala.
https://twitter.com/startup_odisha/status/1134433955078234113
Development of MSMEs in the state being ‘top priority’ of the Naveen Patnaik government and the fact that Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi has taken over as MSME minister at the centre, things should now be looking up for the start-ups. What is needed is close coordination between the centre and the state in furthering the start-up ecosystem in Odisha.
