Odisha Government signs MOU with Startup India hub, InvestIndia to promote Startup Odisha

The startup culture in India has been rapidly shaping into a phenomenon, and with PM Modi propelling the movement with the launch of the Startup India initiative; there is a significant push for the cause by state governments across the country. Odisha government has now joined the movement, developing the startup ecosystem in the State.  To  promote  the  same,  the  Orissa  government  has  signed  an  MOU  with InvestIndia launching Startup Odisha helpline and lucrative offers for aspiring entrepreneurs and startups to avail hands-on assistance.

Mr Navpreet Randhawa & Mr Abheet Dwivedi with Mr L.N Gupta

The helpline – 18003457100 – is aimed at providing a platform to all stakeholders of the startup ecosystem in the state. Entrepreneurs, incubators and the likes can get easy redressal of queries, fundraising assistance, idea validation and company incorporation through this.

Focusing on  the  ‘Ease of Starting Up’, the  policies have  been revised from the  pre- existing ones of Odisha Startup Policy 2016. A sustenance allowance of INR 20,000 per month has been put in place alongside monetary assistance for new product development and marketing of up to Rs. 15 lakh.




With the MOU in place, the Startup India Learning & Development Module will now be extended to Odiya language too. Startup Odisha portal will also be developed by NIC with Startup India providing knowledge support.

To improve the infrastructure of incubators, the government will provide a matching grant of up to Rs 1crore. A unique step that the Odisha government has taken is to match grants up to Rs. 5 crore wherein the contributors are from alumni, philanthropic organisations and industry bodies.

“I am sure the partnership between Start-up Odisha Initiative and Start-up India Hub run by Invest India will help us achieve the Mission 1000 Start-ups by 2020 and help youths realise their dreams,” said Mr. Patnaik.




InvestIndia will provide knowledge support for the development of the MSME sector focusing on food processing, agro-processing and spices. Abheet Dwivedi and Navpreet Randhawa, both managers at InvestIndia, will share assistance with setting up the startup portal along with startup policy advocacy, and operating guidelines.

Further, the MOU will enable networking between startups in Odisha and the global startup ecosystem. The state would also be looking to emulate global best practices. Through the platform, all stakeholders of the startup ecosystem, including the government, can now interact.