Bhubaneswar: In a bid to strengthen cooperation between startup ecosystems, a delegation from Tottori Prefecture of Japan visited Startup Odisha at O-Hub in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.
The visit is aimed at exploring opportunities for international business collaboration, institutional partnerships and cross-border linkages across sectors such as agriculture, construction, artificial intelligence (AI), manufacturing, sustainability and healthcare.
The delegation comprised Toru Sasaki, Director General, Department of Commerce, Industry and Labour, Tottori Prefectural Government; Yoshioka, Director, San-in Godo Bank Co. Ltd.; and Kazuhiko Ikeda, President, Tottori Prefectural Industrial Promotion Organization, along with representatives of Japanese companies.
During the visit of the Japanese team, an MoU was signed between Sustainability Leaders Odisha Pvt Ltd, an Odisha-based startup, and ONESTRUCTION Inc, a business organisation from Tottori, to promote business collaboration between enterprises from Odisha and Japan.
The agreement follows initial discussions held during the Tottori delegation’s visit to Odisha on July 30, 2026, and subsequent follow-up engagements, reflecting efforts to translate preliminary interactions into concrete business partnerships.
Gokulananda Mallik, Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Fisheries & Animal Resources Development, Government of Odisha, addressed the gathering and emphasised the importance of promoting entrepreneurship and expanding business opportunities through international cooperation.
Rashmita Panda, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, MSME Department, and Chairperson, Startup Odisha, highlighted the state government’s commitment to strengthening the startup ecosystem, promoting innovation and facilitating international partnerships.
The programme began with a welcome address by Smruti Ranjan Pradhan, Chief Executive Officer, Startup Odisha, followed by addresses by members of the Japanese delegation.
The visiting delegates also toured the Startup Showcase Stall, where they were introduced to innovative products, technologies and entrepreneurial initiatives emerging from Odisha’s startup ecosystem.
A video presentation on Startup Odisha provided an overview of the state’s initiatives, institutional support mechanisms and efforts to nurture innovation, entrepreneurship and startup growth.
Odisha-based startups also showcased their ventures, products and solutions before the visiting delegation, highlighting the state’s entrepreneurial capabilities and potential areas of collaboration with Japanese companies.
The programme further featured Business-to-Business (B2B) interactions between Odisha-based startups and companies from Tottori Prefecture. The discussions focused on business networking, exchange of ideas, potential partnerships, market opportunities and areas of mutual interest across various sectors.
The engagement is expected to strengthen international linkages between the startup ecosystems of Odisha and Japan, while creating opportunities for business networking, institutional cooperation and greater global exposure for emerging enterprises from the state.