In an acknowledgment of its efforts to foster a dynamic startup ecosystem, Odisha has been named a ‘Top Performer' in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) State Startup Ranking for 2022.
The announcement was made during a felicitation ceremony in New Delhi, with Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles, presenting the accolade.
The DPIIT's State Startup Ranking, in its fourth edition, is an initiative designed to encourage states and union territories to develop and support vibrant startup ecosystems. The ranking framework for 2022 was developed to be comprehensive and results-driven, aiming to stimulate growth and advancement across all states and UTs, said a statement.
The evaluation involved a multifaceted approach, analysing responses across 25 action points which combined absolute, relative, and feedback-based metrics to assess each state's unique startup environment.
This initiative, which began in 2018, has recognised Odisha's contributions to the startup ecosystem in previous years as well. The state's consistent performance, culminating in the ‘Top Performer' accolade in both 2019 and 2021, and now again in 2022, underscores its commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and implementing inclusive policies, said a senior official from O-Hub.
“The retention of the ‘Top Performer' status in the DPIIT State Startup Rankings 2022 reflects our steadfast dedication to nurturing the startup ecosystem. Guided by the leadership in the state, we are focused on enhancing our capabilities. Our efforts are geared towards establishing a supportive environment, implementing a new startup policy, adhering to global best practices, prioritising ESG factors, and encouraging women entrepreneurs. Our aim is to foster a growing number of entrepreneurs in their journey,” said Dr. Omkar Rai, Executive Chairman of Startup Odisha.
Startup Odisha has played a pivotal role in supporting over 1,800 startups in diverse sectors such as agritech, IT, artificial intelligence, healthcare, fintech, and biotechnology, with 42% of these startups being led by women.
The organisation has set a target to foster at least 5,000 startups by 2025. Odisha is also home to 27 incubators, including the O-Hub, which is one of the largest in India, covering a space of four lakh sq ft. Currently, the state has 75 active Entrepreneurship Cells (E-cells) and 93 incubatees, with these numbers expected to increase in the near future.
