Odisha Hosts High-Level Meeting to Boost Women-Led Enterprises Through CSR Initiatives

Bhubaneswar: A high-level stakeholder meeting on the promotion of women-led enterprises through CSR initiatives was convened today at Mission Shakti Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, bringing together senior officials from the corporate sector, banking institutions, and government departments. The session aimed to foster strategic partnerships to advance women’s entrepreneurship across Odisha, aligning with the state’s larger vision for economic empowerment through collective action.

The meeting was graced by Odisha’s Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening women’s economic independence through convergence and institutional collaboration. She praised the growing engagement of the CSR and banking ecosystem with Mission Shakti’s transformative journey and called for deeper, long-term partnerships to expand the impact on the ground. Highlighting the evolving identity of women entrepreneurs in the state, she announced that “Subhdra Shakti” will serve as the official brand for Self Help Group (SHG) products in Odisha. She also underscored the importance of addressing mental health and wellness among working women as a key component of holistic empowerment.

The session commenced with a welcome address by Sumitra Pattnaik, Additional Secretary to Government, setting the tone for the day’s discussions. This was followed by a detailed presentation by Dr. Monica Priyadarshini, State Mission Director, Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM) and Director, Mission Shakti. Dr. Priyadarshini provided a comprehensive overview of the department’s mandate and flagship programmes, with a special focus on the progress of the Lakhpati Didi initiative. She outlined a strategic roadmap for promoting women-led enterprises through targeted CSR collaborations, identifying enterprise infrastructure, market development, micro-enterprises, and cluster-based projects as key areas of impact.

The meeting witnessed active participation from the CSR teams of major corporate houses, including Essel Mining and Industries Ltd of the Aditya Birla Group, Aditya Aluminium, JSW Foundation (East), Tata Steel Ltd, NALCO, and others. Representatives from leading banking institutions such as State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Punjab National Bank, ICICI Bank, Union Bank of India, UCO Bank, Odisha Gramya Bank, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, India Overseas Bank, and Federal Bank also joined the dialogue, contributing perspectives on improving credit access and financial services for women-led businesses.

Participants unanimously recognized the need for a joint and coordinated mechanism to identify collaboration opportunities and develop district-specific action plans. Priority areas identified during the session included value chains linked to the ‘One District One Product’ initiative, strengthening rural enterprise infrastructure, promoting financial inclusion, and scaling enterprise mentorship.

An open house discussion formed a vital part of the meeting, focusing on aligning corporate CSR strategies with the government’s vision. Deliberations highlighted the integration of SHGs into supply chains, the promotion of district-level enterprise clusters, and the need to facilitate technical and market linkages for sustained growth.