Bhubaneswar: Seventy students from 14 universities across Odisha are taking part in the state-level Innovation and Startup Competition which was inaugurated at Rama Devi Women’s University here on Friday.
The two-day competition has been organised for the first time, jointly by the Odisha government’s Higher Education Department and the Odisha State Higher Education Council.
Health & Family Welfare, Electronics & Information Technology, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling, who inaugurated the event, visited the exhibition stalls and interacted with students about their innovative ideas and research initiatives.
Dr Mahaling said that the competition will play a significant role in nurturing creativity among students and strengthening the startup ecosystem in the state.
He observed that such initiatives encourage students to move beyond textbook-based learning and engage in advanced research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, thereby contributing to societal development.
There was a multi-tier selection process for the competition.
College-level competitions were conducted initially, followed by university-level rounds. Outstanding participants from the university level qualified for the state-level competition.
At the state level competition, 10 best startup projects will be selected, and each of those will receive financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh from the Higher Education Department. The selected students will be provided mentorship support and facilities for advanced research.
Students showcased their startup projects across nine categories — agriculture and rural development, health, food and nutrition, fashion and handloom, artificial intelligence and technology, mental health, finance and business service, education, environment protection and sustainable development.
