“The Time of Odisha has Come”: Pratap Deb

The closing ceremony of Odisha Startup Carnival 2022 was convened on 16^th July 2022 at O-Hub in presence of Hon’ble Minister Shri Pratap Keshari Deb and Executive Chairman, Startup Odisha, Dr. Omkar Rai.

This was a one-of-its-kind Mentor-Investor-Connect Fest, organized by AIC-Nalanda in collaboration with Startup Odisha, UCCIL, and Fluid Ventures. It was a 12-day long fest for startups with over 40 experts, mentors & investors coming to Bhubaneswar from varied fields and sectors across the nation. It was followed by 100 one-on-one meetings between Investors and Startups that gained unprecedented appreciation from all stakeholders. The networking sessions during the carnival gave startups an opportunity to interact with mentors & investors and seek the necessary guidance.

Shri Devjyoti Mohanty, CEO, AIC-Nalanda welcomed the dignitaries, guests, and audience for their gracious presence in the program and elaborated on the successful journey of the first Odisha Startup Carnival.

Dr. Omkar Rai congratulated the efforts put together by Startup Odisha and AIC-Nalanda for the success of the carnival and also expressed that O-Hub with its world-class facilities & services shall continue to be the epicenter of such programs in the state. Odisha has more than 1300 recognized startups with 40% of them being women-led which makes the state unique among all other ecosystems in the country, added Dr. Rai in his keynote address as Chief Patron for the Odisha Startup Carnival.

“All those startups and investors who are trying to explore must know that the time of Odisha has come, and this is the right opportunity to start in Odisha”, remarked Shri Pratap Keshari Deb, Hon’ble Minister & Chief Guest for the occasion. He also asserted that the state has got a large technical pool of resources and the field ready with land, water, infrastructure & power which makes Odisha a versatile state for anybody to start their enterprise here and grow holistically.

The closing ceremony included panel discussions with investors, industry stalwarts, Govt. officials, and community enablers. A startup privilege club of 50 startups was also announced to benefit them with further support & linkages from Government, Industry, and Investors. 10 best-performing startups were also felicitated on this occasion.