Soumayashree Mishra 
The government of Odisha intends to transform potential Women SHGs into successful enterprises of tomorrow, taking the vision of women’s empowerment a step further. In order to achieve this goal, district-level investor summits are being organised in the run-up to the Make In Odisha Conclave 2022, with the goal of creating an ecosystem and giving rural women the opportunity to lead small and medium enterprises.
The summit at Sundargarh, organised by Mission Shakti in collaboration with FICCI at Vikas Bhawan on Monday, saw the participation of members from over 80 local WSHGs under the slogan ‘SHG to SME: Invest In Her.’ The platform allowed the women to network with successful entrepreneurs, officials from various local industries, and Chamber of Commerce members.
Smt Sujata R Karthikeyan, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Dept of Mission Shakti, Govt of Odisha, spoke about the role of WSHG members in the state in successfully handling various non-conventional assignments. She praised their contribution to the state’s economic growth and emphasised the importance of creating an ecosystem to foster their latent entrepreneurial spirit. “As a result, we can convert many SHGs into SMEs,” she explained. A large number of WSHG members attended the district-level programme held in advance of the Make In Odisha Conclave. They interacted meaningfully with local entrepreneurs, officials from various private industries, and representatives from various industry bodies. The future opportunities for WSHG members in the Sundargarh district’s industrial development were widely discussed. The importance of providing a market for various products manufactured by WSHGs was emphasized. “The programme will help Mission Shakti women in Sundargarh District gain the confidence they need to connect and manage their businesses effectively,” said Sundargarh Collector Dr. Parag H Gavali.
