Bhubaneswar, 10 November (H.S.): Odisha and Japan have taken another step towards strengthening business and startup cooperation with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between an Odisha-based startup and a business organisation from Japan's Tottori Prefecture on Monday.

The MoU was signed between Sustainability Leaders Odisha Pvt. Ltd. and ONESTRUCTION Inc. of Tottori, marking progress towards establishing business partnerships and promoting cross-border collaboration between enterprises from the two regions.

The agreement follows initial discussions held during the visit of a Tottori Prefecture delegation to Odisha on July 30, 2026, and subsequent follow-up engagements aimed at translating the discussions into concrete business partnerships.

The development coincided with the visit of a Japanese delegation to Startup Odisha at O-Hub in Bhubaneswar on Monday to explore opportunities for cooperation between the startup ecosystems of Odisha and Japan, including institutional partnerships, international business collaboration and market linkages.

The delegation comprised Toru Sasaki, Director General, Department of Commerce, Industry and Labour, Tottori Prefectural Government; Yoshioka, Director, San-in Godo Bank Co. Ltd.; and Kazuhiko Ikeda, President, Tottori Prefectural Industrial Promotion Organization, along with representatives of Japanese companies.

Addressing the gathering, Odisha MSME and Fisheries & Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallik emphasised the importance of promoting entrepreneurship and expanding business opportunities through international cooperation.

Rashmita Panda, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, MSME Department and Chairperson of Startup Odisha, highlighted the State Government's commitment to strengthening the startup ecosystem, encouraging innovation and facilitating international partnerships.

The programme began with a welcome address by Smruti Ranjan Pradhan, CEO of Startup Odisha, followed by addresses by members of the Japanese delegation.

The visiting delegates also toured the Startup Showcase Stall, where they explored innovative products, technologies and entrepreneurial initiatives developed by Odisha-based startups. A video presentation provided an overview of the State's startup ecosystem, institutional support mechanisms and initiatives to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.

Startups from Odisha presented their ventures, products and innovative solutions to the Japanese delegation, highlighting the State's entrepreneurial potential and identifying possible areas of cooperation with Japanese companies.

The programme also featured Business-to-Business (B2B) interactions between Odisha-based startups and companies from Tottori Prefecture. Discussions focused on potential partnerships, market opportunities and business networking across sectors such as agriculture, construction, artificial intelligence, manufacturing, sustainability and healthcare.

The engagement is expected to strengthen international linkages within Odisha's startup ecosystem, facilitate business connections and provide emerging enterprises from the State with greater global exposure. It also marks a step towards sustained cooperation between the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems of Odisha and Japan.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda