BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM) on Monday signed an MoU with IIT-Bhubaneswar for launch of an incubation programme through the Startup Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) to strengthen rural women-led enterprises in the state.
The initiative aims to support rural women entrepreneurs in business planning, product development, quality enhancement, market linkages, and access to finance and professional networking.
The pact was inked in the presence of deputy chief minister Pravati Parida at Mission Shakti Bhawan here. The programme is being launched under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in which IIT-Bhubaneswar will serve as the incubation partner.
Official sources said as per the guidelines of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), at least 150 growth-oriented rural enterprises will be supported over the next three years.
The Ministry of Rural Development has approved an expenditure of `10.70 crore for the initiative. In the first phase, `99 lakh has been sanctioned to IIT-Bhubaneswar for implementation of the initiative.
Parida said, “The collaboration with a premier institution like IIT-Bhubaneswar has opened new avenues of opportunities for SHG women. Through technical guidance and advanced training, they will be able to position their products at national and international levels. The initiative will be a milestone in the journey towards Viksit Odisha and a major step in boosting women’s confidence and economic empowerment.”