Odisha's chief minister inaugurated a platform for women entrepreneurs and also opened MSME clusters and parks.

In Bhubaneswar, on Saturday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took a significant step towards promoting women-led entrepreneurship in the state of Odisha. The initiative, called the Women Entrepreneurship Platform, is supported by NITI Aayog and aims to empower women by providing them with access to finances, mentorship, marketing support, and skill development opportunities. The platform was launched during the 'Udyami Odisha MSME Programme' which was organized to celebrate International MSME Day.

During the launch, Majhi expressed his belief that this initiative will strengthen women's economic leadership in the state. He stated, "This is a grand campaign for women's economic leadership in Odisha's development journey." He also added, "Our goal is to create an Odisha where women not only seek jobs but also create jobs, not only consume products but also create them, and not only participate in development but also lead it." Majhi also announced the one-year action plan for the Women Entrepreneurship Platform and highlighted the success of the state's 'Subhadra Yojana' scheme. He claimed that over one crore women have been empowered under this scheme, moving towards self-reliance.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office, data from a survey conducted by IIM Sambalpur, SBI, and AI Voice Bot showed that the percentage of women-run enterprises in Odisha has increased from 25% to 53%, while the average bank deposits of beneficiaries have risen by Rs 6,887. The Chief Minister's Office further stated that the Women Entrepreneurship Platform will bring together various organizations, including Mission Shakti, the MSME department, Startup Odisha, banks, and industrial institutions, to provide financial aid, marketing support, mentorship, and skill development opportunities to women entrepreneurs. Majhi also emphasized the importance of the MSME sector in Odisha's economic growth and inaugurated a rice milling cluster in Balasore and laid the foundation stone for a Rasogola Cluster in Pahal near Bhubaneswar.

He also inaugurated two multi-product MSME parks in Barpally and Kesinga, and announced the launch of engineering, printing and packaging, and cashew clusters in the coming days. The Chief Minister informed that there is a plan to develop at least one multi-product MSME park in every district. He also mentioned that more than 4.32 lakh MSMEs in the state have benefitted from the combined efforts of the Centre and the state government.

He believes that the MSME sector will play a crucial role in achieving Odisha's goal of becoming a USD 500-billion economy by 2036. The event was also attended by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri who commended Odisha for its high growth rate and topping the NITI Aayog Fiscal Health Index 2026. Deputy Chief Minister Parvathi Parida also expressed her excitement about the launch of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform and stated that it marks the beginning of a new chapter for women entrepreneurs in the state.

The event was covered by Orissa POST, the No.1 English Daily in Odisha.