Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Startup Odisha is pleased to announce that it would be attending the much awaited “Utkarsh Odisha Conclave 2025,” which will take place in the Main Hall of the event venue on January 28, 2025. To honor the state’s thriving entrepreneurial environment and cement its standing as a rising star in India’s startup scene, Startup Odisha will feature a unique pavilion this year. Innovative initiatives, ground-breaking enterprises, and motivational success stories coming out of Odisha will all be on display at the Startup Odisha Pavilion. It will establish a vibrant environment for promoting collaborations, investment possibilities, and innovation among investors, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders. Additionally, the pavilion will showcase the state’s dedication to empowering its startup sector and promoting an innovative culture.
Prominent speakers at the conclave include Maya Sherman, Innovation Attaché at the Israeli Embassy; Bhaskar Majumdar, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Unicorn India Ventures; Ratun Lahiri, Senior Advisor of Unicorn India Ventures; and Kunal Bahl, CEO and Founder of Ace Ventures and Co-Founder of Snapdeal. These notable people will impart their knowledge and provide insightful commentary on the startup scene.
The conclave promises to be an insightful experience with engaging panel discussions on transformative topics. The first panel, “Odisha – A Land of Opportunities,” will explore the vast potential of the state to foster startups across diverse sectors. Featuring industry stalwarts such as Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary of the MSME Department, and Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director of IIT Bhubaneswar, Swayam Prakash Baral – Swadesh Infra Marketing Pvt. Ltd., Ganesh Sathyamurthy, Partner, Artha99 Investments Time Activity, Dr. Santosh Matthew, Country Lead, State Systems and Partnerships, Gates Foundation, Shantanu Chaturvedi – Vice President(Investments), Transition VC, Kumar Gaurav, Chief Marketing Officer, SMFG India Credit. This session will underline the opportunities that make Odisha a prime destination for entrepreneurial ventures. Another thought-provoking session, “Women in Innovation – The Future of Startup Evolution in Odisha,” will focus on empowering women entrepreneurs, with participants like Madhumita Agrawal, Founder of Oben Electric, and Sarika Saxena, Managing Partner of Indian Angel Network, Prof. Sasmita Samanta, MD cum Chairperson, Sustainable Outreach and Universal Leadership Ltd., Madhumita Agrawal – CEO & Founder, Oben Electric, Dipti Panda – Co-Founder and Director, Innocresta Consulting, Dharitri Patnaik, Founder, Jivada Ventures Pvt. Ltd, sharing their insights. The final panel, “Grassroots to Global,” will delve into how Odisha’s grassroots innovations are scaling to global prominence, featuring esteemed speakers such as Sushanto Mitra, CEO and Founder, Lead Angels, Vijay Singh Rathore, CEO, Soonicorn Ventures, Mayuresh Raut, Managing Partner, SeaFund, Aaquib Hussain, Co-Founder, Freeflow Ventures, Mittu Tigi, Director, Merstra VC, Amit Singhal, Partner, Fluid Ventures and Sumant Sinha, Founder, Renew.
The plenary session will be graced by several distinguished dignitaries, including, Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister of Odisha, Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education, Government of India, Gokulananda Mallik, Minister for MSME, Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Minister, Housing and Urban Development Department, Suryabanshi Suraj, Minister, Odisha Language Literature and Culture Department, Mukesh Mahaling, Minister, Electronics and Information Technology Department, and Higher Education Department, Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary of the MSME Department and Chairman of Startup Odisha,. Their keynote addresses will underscore the significant strides Startup Odisha in shaping the state’s innovation landscape.
The Startup Odisha Pavilion will also witness the signing of key Memorandums of Understanding with notable organisations, including HDFC Bank, Hero MotoCorp, Oplus India Research and Development Private Limited (OPPO), Merstra Foundation, Transition Venture Capital (TVC), ACIC GIET University, and the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management. These partnerships aim to further enhance the ecosystem and pave the way for innovative collaborations. Additionally, more than 2,000 students from various universities and educational institutes will also be joining the inspirational sessions and can be the next generation of entrepreneurs.
