Odisha top performer in National Startup ranking

Surjit kuamr Dhal,Bhubaneswar, May 31: Odisha has been recognized as a ‘Top Performer’ in the States’ Startup Raking at all India level.

This was known from the State Startup Council Meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Aditya Prsad Padhi in secretrait conference hall on Thursday.

Additional Chief Secretary Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises ( MS&ME) Laxmi Narayan Gupta presented informed the meeting that the Union Government has recognized Odisha as the top performer as per  State Startup Raking-2018.

The ranking was done on the basis of 38 parameters in seven key reform areas such as policy implementation, incubation support, seed funding support, angel and venture capital funding support, simplified regulations, easing public procurement, awareness and outreach.

As many as 27 states and three Union Territories participated in the exercise.

            Reviewing the progress of startup policy implementation, the Chief Secretary approved a proposal for setting up startup hubs in big cities of the State for promoting startup ecosystem and attracting investment.

He further directed the officials to prepare a detail business plan of the proposed hubs for its effective management and operation.

It was also decided to organize a national level Startup Conclave in Odisha to strengthen local startup eco-system and Padhi directed the officials to make the conclave outcome oriented in terms of attracting investment in innovative startups.

 A review showed that so far 592 startup ventures, including 138 women led, have been registered through Odisha Startup Portal out of which 423 have been recognized by the Startup Council.

So far 73 startups and incubators have been awarded financial grant and other support. Around 110 Mentors have been registered and 12 Incubators have been made functional.

A total number of 12 Nodal Agencies have been empanelled for recommending the innovative startups and 66 entrepreneurship-cum-startup cells have been set up.

The expression of interest by ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack to function as another Nodal Agency was discussed and approved in the meeting.

            Director Industries Pranabjyoti Nath informed that out of the 423 recognized startups around 18pc are in IT service sector, 9pc are in healthcare & life sciences, 9pc in green technology, 6pc in analytics & artificial intelligence, 6pc in agriculture, 6pc are in food & beverages, 5pc in education, 3pc in travel & tourism and 38pc in other sectors.

Nath further appraised that analysis of the startups show that around 197 of them have created job opportunities for 2017 youths and this number is expected to grow steadily in coming years.

            The issues relating to need based assistance to stratups, onetime capital grant to incubators, setting up startup hubs, startup seed fund, introduction of startup & entrepreneurship related courses in universities and schools, strengthening of startup secretariat were deliberated in the meeting.