Odisha: OLM, IIT Bhubaneswar ink MoU to boost rural women enterprises

Odisha Livelihoods Mission and IIT Bhubaneswar signed an MoU to support rural women-led enterprises. Under the SVEP, IIT Bhubaneswar will incubate 150 growth-oriented businesses, providing technical guidance, training, and market linkages.

In a significant move to bolster rural women-led enterprises, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM) and IIT Bhubaneswar at the Mission Shakti Bhawan on Monday. The exchange took place in the presence of the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Women & Child Development, Pravati Parida.

Details of the Incubation Programme

Under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), an incubation programme is being launched through the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) to support growth-oriented rural enterprises across the State. IIT Bhubaneswar will serve as the incubation partner, providing support in business planning, product development, quality enhancement, market linkages, access to finance, and professional networking.

According to the guidelines of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), at least 150 growth-oriented rural enterprises will be supported through the incubation process over the next three years. The Union Ministry of Rural Development has approved an expenditure of ₹10.70 crore for this programme. In the first phase, ₹99 lakh has been sanctioned to IIT Bhubaneswar for the implementation of the initiative.

Empowering SHGs and Product Branding

The programme aims to create a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, enabling Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to transform into small and medium enterprises. Furthermore, IIT Bhubaneswar will assist in securing patents and process certifications to help create unique identities for select products from Odisha.

Government's Commitment to Women Entrepreneurs

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida stated that the government is committed to nurturing women as successful entrepreneurs. "The collaboration with a premier institution like IIT Bhubaneswar has opened new avenues of opportunity for SHG women. Through technical guidance and advanced training, they will be able to position their products at national and international levels," she said.

Highlighting the state's progress, Smt. Parida noted that Odisha has achieved its 'Lakhpati Didi' goal and is now working towards the 'Crorepati Didi' target. She emphasised that the state currently has 23,000 'Lakhpati Didis' and the administration aims to elevate them further. She added that all finances for these initiatives will be managed by the department.

IIT Bhubaneswar's Commitment

Prof. Sripada Karmalkar, Director of IIT Bhubaneswar, expressed the institute's commitment to the mission. "We are very happy that we will be able to help these 150 women entrepreneurs in Odisha. This will affect society in a good way," he said.

Aligning with National and State Vision

The initiative is envisioned to align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Viksit Bharat" and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's "Viksit Odisha" vision, significantly contributing to the economic empowerment and confidence of women across the state. (ANI)

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