Bhubaneswar: TiE Bhubaneswar today inaugurated TiEcon 2025, a two-day national-level entrepreneurship summit with global recognition, marking a significant step in Odisha’s journey to becoming a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. The event, held in collaboration with the Government of Odisha, has drawn entrepreneurs and thought leaders from across India and countries like Sri Lanka, Singapore, the UAE, and the USA.
The summit aims to spotlight Odisha as a compelling destination for business and innovation. The inaugural day saw the launch of four key initiatives designed to strengthen the state’s entrepreneurship ecosystem:
- Voice of Entrepreneurship: A grassroots initiative to connect with entrepreneurs across Odisha, gathering insights on their challenges and providing actionable feedback to relevant authorities.
- Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs of Odisha: A campaign to identify and celebrate leading women entrepreneurs, creating role models for aspiring women throughout the state.
- Entrepreneurship in School Curriculum: An initiative to integrate entrepreneurship as a subject in school curricula to nurture entrepreneurial mindsets from a young age.
- TiE Presence in Every Block: An expansion of TiE Bhubaneswar’s reach to every block of Odisha, ensuring no aspiring entrepreneur is left behind.
Dignitaries at the event underscored the state’s potential. Shri Pradeep Bal Samanta, Minister of Handloom & Textile, highlighted the opportunities presented by Odisha’s 574 km coastline for the blue economy, urging entrepreneurs and investors to focus on innovations in emerging sectors. He reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs through initiatives in skill development and startup promotion.
Shri Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary, Industry, stressed Odisha’s strategic focus on raw material-led, demand-driven, and technology-driven growth. He proposed a plan to identify two entrepreneurs from each district with support from TiE Bhubaneswar.
Shri Vishal Dev, Principal Secretary, Energy and IT, noted Odisha’s fiscal prudence and its achievements in industrial growth, disaster management, and healthcare, including a significant reduction in child and maternal mortality rates.
Shri Ayaskanta Mohanty, President of TiE Bhubaneswar, emphasized the role of entrepreneurs as “change makers and nation builders.” He stated the organization’s goal to have TiE members in every block and to integrate entrepreneurship into the school curriculum to enhance the state’s ecosystem.
Shri Murali Bukkapatnam, TiE Global President, encouraged entrepreneurs to “boldly build, lead fearlessly, and make Bhubaneswar a place the world counts on. Don’t just follow—build bravely. The world is waiting for you.”
The event concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by TiE Bhubaneswar Vice President Satyabrata Ratho.