Bhubaneswar, January 31: Odisha welcomed ‘Startup India-Odisha Yatra’ with open arms encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs for innovation and take their entrepreneurship to a higher level. ‘Startup India-Odisha Yatra’ was launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Launching the campaign from the Secretariat, the CM Patnaik said the Yatra van will travel to 60 educational institutions across 16 districts of the State. It will cover educational institutions in Khurda, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Balangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Rayagada and Ganjam districts.
Addressing the launch “We are fast moving towards our mission of opening 1,000 Startups in the State by 2020,” CM said.
Selected ideas will be put to three days intensive acceleration programme, CM Naveen said and added the best 50 innovators will be provided incubation and mentorship support to convert their ideas into Startups. He expressed happiness over the fact that during the last eight months, 175 Startups have been registered with Startup Odisha initiative.
CM said that 10 boot camps will be organised at Fakir Mohan University, Balasore; Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla; Government Engineering College, Keonjhar, KIIT, Bhubaneswar; NIT-Rourkela; Vikram Dev College, Jeypore; Government Engineering College in Kalahandi; National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), Berhampur and Biju Patnaik Film and Television Institute of Odisha (BPFTIO), Cuttack, where aspiring entrepreneurs will get a chance to present their ideas and seek backing from investors. The winners of the boot camps will get cash prizes, legal consultation, advisory services and mentorship support, he said.
Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Prafulla Samal said the main objective of the Yatra is to create awareness about the Startup eco-system in Tier-II and Tier-III towns and encourage aspiring entrepreneurs and youths to set up their ventures in the State. He said the Yatra will be of one month duration and conclude in the Capital.