Bhubaneswar, Sep 8 : Startup Odisha, an initiative of the MSME Department of the Odisha Government, announced on Friday the launching of the Odisha Startup Yatra and Startup Express 2023, the newest editions of its flagship initiatives.
The initiatives will be flagged off by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on September 11, with a core focus on guiding and empowering young minds at the grassroot level in the realms of innovation and entrepreneurship.
The initiatives seek to equip them to harness the ample opportunities within the startup ecosystem.
Through a series of engaging initiatives, including both Van Camps and Boot Camps for scouting innovative ideas, Startup Odisha will engage with educational institutions across the 30 districts in Odisha, involving more than 200 colleges and over0 schools, thus impacting more than 25,000 students.
As part of these initiatives, Startup Odisha will conduct more than 200 van camps across colleges, along with 60 van camps in various schools, followed by more than 120 bootcamps, generating over 3500 ideas.
The past edition of Startup Odisha Yatra showcased remarkable achievements, witnessing 1350 ideas, and 22 top ideas were selected from among 10,270 students for the acceleration programme, culminating in the demo day, where 11 finalists were awarded Rs 1 lakh each.
The upcoming edition of the Startup Yatra aims to further take this endeavour to greater heights, where at least 50 shortlisted ideas will be invited for a 3-day acceleration programme.
The top 25 ideas will be invited to O-Hub for the demo day, out of which 10 will be awarded seed funding worth Rs 3 lakh each to develop their ideas into viable startup ventures.
A dedicated mobile application has been developed to collect the innovative ideas of the young innovators.
Additionally, the top 20 ideas from Startup Xpress 2023 will be invited for final pitching, out of which 10 ideas will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 10,000 each to encourage these young students and build their entrepreneurial spirit.
Commenting on the importance of the Startup Yatra 2023, Industries, MSME, and Energy Minister Pratap Keshari Deb said the Startup Yatra and Startup Xpress 2023 will be pivotal in bringing innovative ideas to the forefront.
Executive Chairman of Startup Odisha, Dr Omkar Rai, said, “Odisha Startup Yatra and Startup Xpress 2023 mark a significant leap for Odisha as a startup ecosystem.
