Cuttack(Naraj) :Startup India- Odisha Yatra, organised by Invest India and Odisha government, was flagged off by the state MSME minister Prafulla Samal from Sri Sri University campus on Wednesday. The inaugural ceremony of the Startup India boot camp also included the culmination of the week long successful journey of the National Startup Week. The one-day boot camp event is aimed at searching for entrepreneurial talent in the university and creating a startup friendly ecosystem not only in the institution but in the entire state as a whole.

MSME additional chief secretary L.N Gupta highlighted the main objective behind the introduction of boot camps in the Startup India- Odisha Yatra programme. He also stated that this programme aims at sensitising Tier 2, Tier 3 towns about the startup ecosystem and encourage the aspiring entrepreneurs and youth to set up their ventures in the state.

Sri Sri University dean, faculty of commerce and management studies Prof.(Dr) P. Srinivas Subbarao said that already 220 students had pitched their ideas for the Startup India- Odisha Yatra boot camp.

University vice chancellor Dr. Nand Lal, said the students will present their ideas in the extensive ideation workshop on 21st and 22nd February  which will be mentored by experts. More than 400 ideas will be pitched by the aspiring students from which the foremost ideas will be selected for an extreme acceleration programme. The selected ideas will get cash prizes and recognition.

The inaugural ceremony was graced by Sri Sri University president,Rajita Kulkarni, Startup India- Odisha Yatra representative,Pratham,  regional manager, NEN, Wadhwani Foundation,Barada Prasad Panigrahy,  and manager Surekha Routray.