310 startups and 09 incubators are registered with the Startup Odisha Initiative: Minister

New Delhi, Dec 1 (KNN) In a short span of last 18 months, 310 startups and 09 incubators are registered with the Startup Odisha Initiative, said Prafulla Samal, Minister, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Women and Child Development (W&CD), Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD).

He added that over 100 startups are led by women entrepreneurs.

Odisha is fast emerging as leading startup state with the pro-active startup ecosystem and big push from the government, he stated.

He said that we are firmly on our way to achieve the vision of supporting 1000-startups by 2020.

He said this during a workshop on “Women led Startups – Challenges and Opportunities” in Odisha.

It was held with more than 100 founders/co-founders of women led startups and entrepreneurs’ participation.

Out of the 40 startups assisted with 52 grants by the state government, 15 are led /founded by women entrepreneurs, said L.N. Gupta, ACS, MSME.

He added that with the amendment in the Odisha Startup Policy carried out in March, 2018, the state has a vision to tap the potential of women entrepreneurship by encouraging at least 33% of startups with founder/co-founder as women.

He mentioned that with the startup friendly policy, highest monetary assistance and reasonably good startup ecosystem, the number of startups is growing at a pace, which is faster than the national average.

Principal Secretary of W&CD Anu Garg stated that there are large areas of convergence between the grassroots women entrepreneurs and women led Startups.