OLM, IIT Bhubaneswar Join Hands to Boost Women-Led Rural Enterprises in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: In a major push to strengthen women-led entrepreneurship in rural Odisha, the Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM) on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Bhubaneswar to launch an incubation programme aimed at nurturing growth-oriented enterprises run by Self-Help Group (SHG) members across the state.

The agreement was exchanged at Mission Shakti Bhawan in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Women & Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism, Pravati Parida. The initiative will be implemented under the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP), a component of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), with IIT Bhubaneswar serving as the incubation partner.

Under the programme, rural women entrepreneurs will receive end-to-end support in business planning, product development, quality improvement, market linkages, access to finance and professional networking. The initiative seeks to help rural enterprises scale up their operations and become sustainable business ventures.

As per the guidelines of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), at least 150 growth-oriented rural enterprises will be incubated over the next three years. The Ministry of Rural Development has approved an outlay of Rs 10.70 crore for the programme, of which Rs 99 lakh has been sanctioned to IIT Bhubaneswar in the first phase.

Officials said the incubation programme is expected to create a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Odisha and facilitate the transition of Self-Help Group enterprises into small and medium-scale businesses. Participating enterprises will receive assistance in securing Udyam registration and fulfilling other statutory requirements necessary for business establishment and expansion.

IIT Bhubaneswar will also support selected enterprises in obtaining patents, process certifications and other intellectual property-related services, helping create distinct identities for products developed by rural entrepreneurs in Odisha.

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said the state government is committed to empowering women not only through employment opportunities but also by helping them emerge as successful entrepreneurs.

She said the collaboration with IIT Bhubaneswar would provide SHG women access to technical expertise, innovation and advanced training, enabling them to improve product quality and explore national and international markets. The initiative, she added, marks an important step towards achieving the vision of a developed Odisha while enhancing the economic independence and confidence of women.

During the programme, the Deputy Chief Minister also interacted with Mahalakshapati Didis and listened to their experiences of overcoming challenges and building successful enterprises.

Officials noted that the initiative is expected to open new avenues of growth for women entrepreneurs while contributing to the goals of “Viksit Bharat” envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and “Viksit Odisha” under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Mission Shakti Department Manasi Nimbhal, Mission Shakti Director Dr. Monika Priyadarshini, senior officials from the department and Odisha Livelihoods Mission, representatives of IIT Bhubaneswar, and members of SHGs participated in the programme. Officials and women entrepreneurs from districts across the state joined virtually.