By Biswajit Sahoo, Smrutirekha Panigrahi & Mrunal Manmay Dash
- CM Majhi invites Entrepreneurs to make Odisha their Second Home
- TiECon Bhubaneswar witnesses high enthusiasm from entrepreneurs, Odisha Capital likely to host TiE Global Summit in 2028
- The Summit highlights AI is indispensable for business success
Calling out the entrepreneurs and investors, Odisha Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi said, “We invite you to invest, innovate and grow with us. We are actively positioning Odisha as a preferred destination for global capability centers. I assure you, once you are here with us, you will definitely feel Odisha as your second home.”
Majhi was addressing a congregation of entrepreneurs and startup founders at a two-day TiECon hosted by TiE Bhubaneswar Chapter in partnership with the Government of Odisha.
Leading the valedictory ceremony, Majhi made an important statement where he assured to consider hosting TiE Global Summit 2028 in Bhubaneswar, slated to be world’s largest gathering of entrepreneurs with over 10,000 participants from across the globe.
“The event has been a celebration of entrepreneurship, and the digital success stories of Odisha. TiECon Bhubaneswar 2025 makes a bold statement on our direction and destination. We are not on the side lines of India’s growth story anymore. In fact, we are at its centre and emerging as an innovation hub, ”Majhi said highlighting the State’s growth potential in the era of AI.”
Mentioning Odisha’s vision as an AI and SEMICON hub, Majhi said, “Odisha has become one of the first states to launch a dedicated AI policy. We have also revamped our semi-conductor policy. Our effort is now to take this growth beyond Bhubaneswar, to cities like Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Berhampur which are being developed as the next web of digital hubs.”
The event saw participation of policy makers, top bureaucrats, investors, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and startups founders. The agenda featured panel discussions, fire-side chats and startup pitches etc inviting active participation by entrepreneurs and the related ecosystem.
Hemant Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries Dept, Govt of Odisha said, “We are at the centre of a growing India. For those companies and entrepreneurs who want to take advantage of the Eastern Indian Market, what the Hon’ble Prime Minister terms as ‘Purvoday’, this is a huge opportunity in Odisha. Odisha has a technology-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
Similarly Principal Secretary, E&IT & Energy Department, Government of Odisha, Vishal Dev said, “We are able to present the opportunity that exists in Odisha for new entrepreneurs across several sectors. The event has been very fruitful and meaningful.”
Addressing the media following the event, Ayaskanta Mohanty, President, TiE Bhubaneswar said, “The first TiECon was organised in Bhubaneswar. So we are very excited for that. Be it the US, Sri Lanka, Singapore or Dubai, we have people around the globe and we want to send the message that Odisha is ready for the entrepreneurship. People especially the youth here are eager to adopt entrepreneurship.”
Murali Bukkapatnam, Chairman, TiE Global congratulated TiE Bhubaneswar Chapter and the entrepreneurs of Odisha during the event. Underscoring the State’s vast natural resources and the coastline which offers major opportunities in logistics and the blue economy, he emphasized Odisha is poised to create the ecosystem for next gen-entrepreneurs in the country.
“Odisha has a diverse strength in mining, tourism and manufacturing as major opportunities beyond tech. The state has created a name for education and skills.
So, the TiE’s role is important in connecting institutions, entrepreneurs, and industries to position Odisha as a key business hub in Eastern India.”, stated Parthasarathy NS, investor, Managing Partner Mela Ventures, Co-Founder MindTree.
Dr. Sheenu Jhawar, President, TiE Rajasthan, observed that Odisha already has strong entrepreneurial potential. “Events like TiECon not only boost the ecosystem but also bring people from outside to explore opportunities here,” she said, adding that such developments can fuel the ‘Make in India’ movement, create jobs, and give founders the boost that investment brings, laying a strong cultural and economic foundation for the state.
Speaking at the event, Bijay Sahoo, Group President, Strategic HR, Reliance Industries Ltd said, “Entrepreneurship depends on start, strive and stay. When you start, but you don’t strive and don’t stay, then you fail. You will succeed only if you get all the three correct. You need support from policy ecosystem in the govt, the capitalist ecosystem from entrepreneurs and the mentors. So, TiE is doing it right by bringing the government, entrepreneurs and the mentor community together. I hope going forward, the formula should succeed in Bhubaneswar.”
Madan Padaki, President, TiE Bangalore said, “It’s amazing to see the energy at the TiECon Bhubaneswar. I can’t believe this is the first time because it has been done so professionally and at this scale.”
After 13 years of its presence and participation in fostering entrepreneurship in the region, TiE Bhubaneswar’s effort to bring the prestigious TiECon brand to the state has been widely hailed as a major milestone. Key highlights of the event included Global Networking by connecting local entrepreneurs with global business leaders, creating bridges across continents. The event saw knowledge exchange with hosting of multiple educational sessions that empowered participants with cutting-edge insights and strategies and facilitation of meaningful relationships between seasoned mentors and emerging entrepreneurs.
Another high point of the conference was signing of MoUs with multiple incubators, strengthening our entrepreneurial support network. The angel investors present at the event provided immediate funding to over 10 entrepreneurs, turning ideas into action.
TiECon announced four ambitious objectives for the coming year designed to create a more robust and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem within Odisha:
- Voice of Entrepreneurship: Amplifying entrepreneurial stories and insights across our community.
- TiE Women 100: Empowering and fostering 100 women entrepreneurs to drive inclusive growth.
- Entrepreneurship Odisha Rollout: Expanding across all 314 blocks in the State to reach every corner of Odisha.
- School-Level Entrepreneurship: Fostering entrepreneurial mindset and skills at the school level, nurturing tomorrow’s innovators.
Among the dignitaries and guests, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Mukesh Mahaling, MD of OCAC Manas Ranjan Panda, Jajpur MP Rabindra Behera, Rajya Sabha MP Sujit Kumar, Vice President TiE Bhubaneswar, Satyabrata Ratho, Secretary TiE Bhubaneswar, Annada Padhy, Presidents and members of other TiE Chapters across the world were also present.
TiE (The IndUS Entrepreneurs), founded in Silicon Valley in 1992, has grown into the world’s largest network of its kind, with 61 chapters across 14 countries. Its extensive network of over 15,000 members and 3,000 charter members, has been instrumental in creating businesses with a market capitalization exceeding US$100 billion.
Leading digital media platform OdishaLIVE was the communication partner of the event supporting the initiative with comprehensive documentation and wide digital outreach.
Great news for Entrepreneurs those who want to contribute for the Growth story of Odissa and India in large . It is great opportunity to invest in odissa . As everyone knows Odissa people are very friendly and peace Loving people so it a good place to invest ur capital . one kind request to the gov if it is to be done early so that many can be benefited early . our best wishes to all. jay Jagannath .