The Odisha government has started a capacity-building program for directors of Women Producer Companies, emphasizing leadership, financial management, and business development, in an effort to support women-led businesses and encourage economic independence.
The two-day State-Level Capacity-Building Training Program was launched on Monday at Mission Shakti Bhawan in Pokhariput, Bhubaneswar, by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida. The Department of Mission Shakti launched the program with the goal of giving female leaders the abilities and information required to run and grow their businesses.
Speaking to the audience, Parida emphasized the increasing contribution of women involved in Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to the state’s economic growth. She said that women had progressed beyond individual production to establish Producer Groups and Producer Companies, which allowed them to manage companies jointly and exert more control over their economic endeavors.
“Women associated with Self-Help Groups have been achieving remarkable milestones in their journey towards success. By joining hands and working collectively, they have transformed themselves into Producer Groups and Producer Companies, taking charge of their own businesses and enterprises,” she said.
The deputy chief minister credited their development to perseverance, bravery, tenacity, and an entrepreneurial mentality. She went on to say that the state government was helping female entrepreneurs by providing funding from the state budget, interest-free bank loans, training, skill development, and other programs. To carry out the specialized training program, the Department of Mission Shakti has teamed up with the National Institute for Social Work and Social Sciences (NISWASS) and the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB).
Between October 26 and December 22, 2026, 13 groups of 320 members of the boards of directors of 64 women-owned producer companies in Odisha will participate in the program. Of them, one is a Millet Producer Company and sixty-three are connected to the Agriculture Production Cluster (APC) initiative. Twenty-five board members from five Women Producer Companies in the Angul district attended the first batch of training.
