RT team
Omkar Rai, the executive chairman of Start-up Odisha, announced India’s position as the world’s third largest startup ecosystem, trailing only behind the United States and China. His remarks were made during the ‘SOA E-Summit-2024’ held at the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER) this Saturday.
Rai emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship among students, urging them to pursue startup ventures to become self-sufficient and evolve from job seekers to job creators. He highlighted the vast opportunities startups offer, enabling ambitious projects to become profitable with minimal investments. He also appreciated SOA’s focus on fostering incubation centers to support budding entrepreneurs.
With 1,940 recognized startups, including ventures in agriculture, artificial intelligence, automotive, telecommunications, education, and energy sectors, Odisha is making significant strides in nurturing its startup ecosystem. SOA’s vice-chancellor, Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, shared that the university is keen on promoting innovation across various disciplines, with its Atal incubation center poised to gain prominence.
The initiative has already seen acknowledgment, with IIT-Hyderabad praising two SOA projects in agriculture and dental sciences. The summit also featured keynotes from industry leaders and inaugurated a startup expo alongside a 24-hour idea prototype hackathon, marking a comprehensive effort to bolster India’s entrepreneurial landscape.
