Suparjya swain 
Raurkela, Odisha: At the Resurgent Rourkela Conclave 2025, Shri Sankar Prasad Jain, one of western Odisha’s most respected entrepreneurs and education visionaries, was honoured with the ‘Best Edupreneur’ Award for his outstanding contributions to education, rural empowerment, and community development.
A seasoned entrepreneur with a diverse business portfolio across rice milling, stone crushing, infrastructure, and agriculture, Shri Jain has always viewed enterprise as a means to a larger mission — nation-building through education. His pioneering initiatives, such as Aastha Public School and Aastha Charitable Trust, have transformed the educational landscape of the region, creating opportunities for children from small towns and villages to access modern, holistic learning. As President of the Governing Body of P.S. Degree College, Belpada, and supporter of national educational campaigns, Shri Jain has consistently championed the idea that knowledge is the true engine of social change.
The award was presented to Shri Jain by Shri Rabinarayan Behera, Hon’ble MP of Jajpur, in the distinguished presence of eminent dignitaries — Mr. Arun Kumar Sahu, Ambassador of India to Bulgaria; Prof. Karanam Umamaheshwar Rao, Director of NIT Rourkela; Mr. Nimish Gadodia, Chairman of Nav Durga Group; Mr. Vivek Srivastava, Managing Director of Talcher Fertilizers Limited; and Dr. Subhasish Das, Chairman of Interview Times.
The felicitation not only celebrates Shri Jain’s extraordinary role in redefining rural education but also stands as a tribute to his unwavering belief that empowering young minds is the surest way to empower communities and strengthen the nation’s future.
