Odisha To Get First ICC Committee For Women Entrepreneurs

Bhubaneswar: In a first for Odisha, the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is going to launch a committee to address the growing needs of women entrepreneurs and business leaders in the state.

The ICC Women’s Entrepreneurship Committee (IWEC) comprises 40 enterprising women members led by MD of Indulge Sukirti Patnaik as the convener and Chidatmika Khatua, Managing Trustee of Aryabhatta B School, as the co-convener along with 10 core advisory committee members will be set up in January 2020.

“We are a highly spirited team of business owners and our aim is to encourage women to pursue their passion, start new ventures and support each other in their entrepreneurial journey,” Sukirti Patnaik said.

Chidatmika Khatua said that the committee’s aim is to empower women through entrepreneurship. “There are women in various rural areas seeking opportunities for skill development and want a local platform for it. We will groom them and help enhance their skills to ensure they get good market value for their work,” she added.

The proposed launch of the IWEC was announced at a press conference in Bhubaneswar on Friday. Among others, JB Pany, Co-Chairman of ICC Odisha, and Tanaya Patnaik, Executive Director of Kanak News and Radio Choklate 104 FM, were present.

ICC will host a mega ‘Women’s Leadership Summit’ in the Odisha capital on January 11, 2020 to coincide with the launch of IWEC. The committee plans to organise several programmes next year, including a trade fair by women entrepreneurs, seminar by national business leaders, women entrepreneurship awards, digital marketing and brand building.