ASSOCHAM’s O-LEADS 2026 calls for stronger industry-academia-startup collaboration to drive Odisha’s growth

 

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, OCTOBER 9, 2026

Don’t look at startups only as vendors but treat them as innovation partners to address real business challenges and accelerate industrial growth, Odisha Industries and Skill Development and Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain said on Friday.

Addressing the inaugural session of ASSOCHAM’s two-day conclave, O-LEADS 2026 – Odisha: The Global Growth Hub, here, Swain emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among industry, academia, startups and the government to translate investments into employment opportunities, innovation and sustainable economic growth.

 “Don’t look at startups only as vendors. Look at them as innovation partners,” he said, urging industries to identify specific business and operational challenges and engage startups to develop practical solutions.

Stressing the need to bridge the gap between innovation and commercialisation, Swain called for greater industry support for startups through pilot projects, mentorship, testing facilities and market access. Such collaboration would help entrepreneurs move beyond the incubation stage and turn their ideas into commercially viable products and services, he said.

The minister also underscored the importance of industry participation in curriculum design, internships, apprenticeships, faculty development and workforce planning to equip young people with skills required by emerging sectors, including semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, electronics, automation and green energy.

The conclave, organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) on October 9 and 10, brought together government representatives, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and academic institutions to explore opportunities for strengthening Odisha’s startup ecosystem and accelerating industrial development.

Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, Chairman of ASSOCHAM’s Odisha State Development Council and CMD of MGM Group, said the state’s ambition should extend beyond creating a startup-friendly environment to building an ecosystem where startups emerge, enterprises scale, industries innovate and Odisha-based businesses compete in global markets.

 “Our vision goes beyond making Odisha merely startup-friendly; we must build an ecosystem where startups are born, enterprises scale, industries innovate, and Odisha-born businesses compete globally,” he said.

Rashmita Panda, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the MSME Department, Odisha government, highlighted the need for closer alignment among policy, academia and industry to enable startups to expand their operations and compete globally.

She also highlighted the role of the proposed new Startup Policy, equity funding and industry collaboration in supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening the state's innovation ecosystem.

Abanis Nayak, Chairman of ASSOCHAM’s Odisha State Startup Council, said innovation would be a key driver of Odisha’s next phase of economic development. He expressed confidence that coordinated efforts by the government, industry and academia would help the state realise its vision of a “Samruddha Odisha” before 2036.

Prabodh Mohanty, Co-Chair of ASSOCHAM’s Odisha State Development Council and Managing Director of SNM Group, stressed that startups must focus on solving real commercial and industrial problems.

He called for a stronger pathway from ideas to products, customers, scale and global markets, saying such an approach would be crucial to Odisha’s ambition of becoming a USD 500 billion economy by 2036.

Alexander Das, Chairman of ASSOCHAM’s Odisha State Education Council and Chairman of Kalinga Group of Institutions, emphasised the need to combine industrial challenges with entrepreneurial mentorship, investment and academic talent to develop solutions to global problems.

Debankur Ghosh, Co-Chair of the IT and Emerging Tech Council and Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), called for deeper industry-academia collaboration to convert research into high-impact innovation.

The two-day conclave focuses on scaling industries and startups, commercialising research and strengthening partnerships between industry and academic institutions. The programme's inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks by ASSOCHAM Secretary General Saurabh Sanyal.