Bhubaneswar, 09 March (H.S.) In a bid to empower young entrepreneurs and strengthen the startup ecosystem, the Odisha government organized a Startup Conclave at O-Hub on Monday. Addressing the gathering, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Gokulananda Mallik emphasized that a strong startup ecosystem is key to the state’s economic growth and urged the younger generation to come forward and pursue entrepreneurial ventures.

The event was attended by senior officials from the MSME Department, including the Commissioner and Secretary Rashmita Panda, who presented detailed information about various financial assistance programs offered to startups. These include monthly grants, product development support, marketing assistance, and need-based funding.

During the conclave, financial assistance was provided to 12 young entrepreneurs, supporting innovative ventures such as Dirakai, Eagle AI, Jayadev Natural Foods, Eco Sath Green India, RetroD, Serlock Studio, Astronext Technologies, Test Quest E-Learning, NC Square EdTech, Retrik Designs, DMN EdTech, and TDB Rutlanch. The minister handed over the grants and encouraged participants to leverage the support for business growth and market expansion.

Profulla Kujur, Chief Administrative Officer of Startup Odisha, expressed gratitude to the minister and highlighted the significance of such initiatives in nurturing entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs from Eagle AI and Retrik Designs shared their experiences and insights during the conclave.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda