BHUBANESWAR: Create an ecosystem for entrepreneurship to thrive and encourage youth to become job creators and not job seekers, said Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu.Addressing the summit on ‘Empowering young grampreneurs to create jobs’ organised by Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST), here on Monday, Naidu said unemployment is an area of major concern not only for India but all nations. The possible way to address unemployment was to “create the right ecosystem for youngsters to become entrepreneurs and set up their own business”, he added.
The Vice-President said there should not be any scope for urban-rural divide and entrepreneurs in the countryside should be provided the required funds, mentorship, skills and training to enhance their confidence and make them self-reliant.
Observing that empowerment of women was central to achieve the objective of inclusive, equitable and sustainable development, Naidu said women should be encouraged to take up entrepreneurship.
Stating that small and medium enterprises play an important role in economic development, Naidu said these industries are often located in rural areas and play a vital role in preserving India’s traditional skills and handicraft and handloom products.
Appreciating Odisha’s efforts in creating a conducive atmosphere for the startups, Naidu said, “Odisha has achieved the status of top performer on startup initiatives as per the rankings of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India. The State has an exciting future and endless opportunities.”
During the event, he presented awards to achievers in rural entrepreneurship and launched BYST entrepreneur online learning in Odia.
The summit was organised by BYST, a non-profit organisation, in collaboration with Tata Steel Limited, JK Paper Limited and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).The summit showcased the works done by BYST and Tata in Jajpur from 2015 and by the non-profit organisation and JK in Rayagada since 2017. So far, BYST, Tata and JK have produced about 700 new ventures in Jajpur and Rayagada regions.
Also speaking at the event, BYST’s founding and managing trustee Lakshmi V Venkatesan said, “We began this journey in Odisha about five years ago to empower young grampreneurs create jobs. Our mentors go to villages, meet entrepreneurs and support them to create successful businesses.”Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal, Tata Steel Limited’s CSR chief Sourav Roy and president and director of JK Paper Limited AS Mehta were also present at the event.