Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Wonder Women’s Convention – 2024 was jointly organized here by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Odisha Assembly of Small & Medium Entreprises (OASME) Bhubaneswar.
Jyotirmayee Mohanty, chairwoman of the OASME Women Wing, extended a warm welcome to all guests and dignitaries. The keynote address was delivered by Sudipta Bhadra, Chief Technical Advisor at PSEI, ILO.
The convention provided a platform to empower women entrepreneurs in Odisha, offering valuable insights, resources, and networking opportunities to thrive in the competitive business landscape. Focusing on sustainable enterprise and economic empowerment, the workshop addressed key challenges and opportunities for women-led businesses in the region.
The women entrepreneurs highlighted the issues faced by them in participating the Govt. Tender and demanded for separate Policy for the women and other reservation for women in all procurement policies of the State and Central Govt.
During the panel discussion on Perspective and Success Mantra in select states, Rama Devi, President of the Associate of Lady Entrepreneurs of India, Andhra Pradesh, Sreekanth Koonayil, Program Officer at Kudumbashree (representing the State Government of Kerala virtually), and Lopamudra Mishra, President of the OASME Women Wing, Cuttack Chapter, actively participated and shared their insights.
Attendees engaged in sessions, panel discussions, and interactive workshops featuring esteemed speakers and experts from diverse sectors. Topics covered included public procurement policy, digital marketing, and the role of technology in business growth.
The Panel Discussion on “Public Procurement Policy – Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs,” moderated by Rita Mathur, a practitioner in public policy and ILO consultant, witnessed the participation of esteemed representatives from various organizations. Additionally, Anwesha Rout, Secretary of the OASME Women Wing, Cuttack Chapter, and a women entrepreneur from Andhra Pradesh (B Kavitha Rajesh) actively contributed to the discussion.
A dedicated Q&A session was organized, during which the “Odisha Procurement Preference Policy for MSE Manufacturing Enterprises-2024” was discussed. The session was led by Satwik Swain, Secretary General (Honorary) of OASME, who provided insights and clarification on the policy.
Furthermore, sessions on “ONDC” by Pooja Bagaria, Network Extension representative from ONDC, and “Digital Marketing in the Age of A.I.” facilitated by Ishita Gupta were conducted. Additionally, a session dedicated to “Gem” provided insights into Government e-Marketplace initiatives.
Participation certificates were distributed to MSMEs in Odisha who had undergone training under the ILO SCORE program, marking a significant milestone in their entrepreneurial journey.
Deepak Bajaj, Life & Business Transformation Coach had spectacular Session at the end and he gave many success mantras and techniques to the audience on running a successful enterprise. He motivated the women to achieve the success in their enterprises.
The event was participated by over 200 women entrepreneurs from 25 Districts of Odisha.
