Bhubaneswar, Jan 16 (KNN) The Odisha Minister for Industries, MSME and Power Pratap Keshari Deb on Sunday said that startups are the only gateway through which state can make self-made entrepreneurs and can become the Industrial hub of the country in next five to seven years.

Addressing the Startup Mela 2023, Deb said that Odisha cannot remain a service state and entrepreneurs here need to start manufacturing to compete at the national level.

“In the recently concluded Make-in-Odisha conclave, we attracted an intent worth Rs 10.5 lakh crore. Going by the past record, even if we can ground 30 per cent of the intents, we would be effectively creating more than 2.5 lakh jobs with an additional revenue generation of around Rs 40,000 crore,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, executive chairman of Startup Odisha, Omkar Rai said the startup mela is another step to achieve the vision where students will be mentored as to how to access the ecosystem and convert their ideas into products.

Advising the student community on how to avail startup incentives, principal secretary of MSME department Saswat Mishra said the new business, which predominantly uses science and technology, new process of manufacturing, any intellectual property or patent-based product is covered by the startup policy, not all businesses.

The two-day event also witnessed a host of interactive sessions, including a special session - ‘Ask Subroto Bagchi’ in which the business leader and chairman Odisha Skill Development Authority interacted with students and shared mantras to entrepreneurs.  (KNN Bureau)