Bhubaneswar: Odisha has secured the coveted status of a ‘top performer’ state in the 2022 Startup India State Startup Rankings, as declared by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday. Alongside Odisha, Maharashtra and Telangana were also recognized as top performers among states and union territories.
The announcement underscores Odisha’s consistent commitment to fostering a vibrant startup ecosystem, according to Omkar Rai, Executive Chairman of Startup Odisha, who received the accolade. Rai highlighted Odisha’s dedication to creating an enabling environment, with a new startup policy in consideration, aligning with global best practices, emphasizing ESG factors, and promoting women’s entrepreneurship.
“Odisha is wholeheartedly dedicated to creating a conducive environment with a new startup policy which is under consideration, aligning with global best practices, focusing on ESG factors, and promoting women’s entrepreneurship,” said Omkar Rai.
Startup Odisha has played a pivotal role in nurturing over 1,800 startups across various sectors such as agritech, IT, artificial intelligence, healthcare, fintech, and biotechnology, with 42% of them led by women. The state aims to foster at least 5,000 startups by 2025. Currently, Odisha hosts 27 incubators, including the state-run O-Hub, featuring an expansive four lakh sqft space. The region boasts 75 active Entrepreneurship Cells (E-cells) and 93 incubates.
The State Startup Rankings evaluated 33 states and union territories across five categories: best performers, top performers, leaders, aspiring leaders, and emerging startup ecosystems. Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Himachal Pradesh were adjudged as the best performers in the latest ranking exercise.
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