THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, AUGUST 11, 2026
Odisha is seeking to tap the discipline, leadership and
organisational skills of its ex-servicemen to create a new pool of
agri-entrepreneurs, with a state-level workshop on Tuesday highlighting
investment opportunities in agriculture and allied sectors under the
Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog Yojana (MKUY).
The workshop, organised at the Auditorium Hall of Krushi
Bhavan here, focused on the agri-preneurial prospects available to
ex-servicemen under MKUY and sought to familiarise veterans with state-supported
mechanisms for setting up sustainable and commercially viable agricultural
enterprises.
The initiative assumes significance as the state looks to
expand entrepreneurship beyond conventional farming and encourage greater
private investment in agriculture and allied activities. The workshop provided
ex-servicemen with an opportunity to understand how their professional
experience and leadership capabilities can be leveraged to establish
enterprises across the agri and food-processing value chain.
In his address at the inaugural session,
Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers'
Empowerment, Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, stressed the strategic fit between the
capabilities acquired during military service and the demands of modern
agribusiness.
"Ex-servicemen bring unparalleled discipline,
leadership, and resilience — qualities that are essential for successful
agribusiness ventures," Jadhav said.
He said the department was committed to handholding veterans
through initiatives such as MKUY by facilitating access to financial subsidies,
technical knowledge and streamlined processes, with the objective of enabling
them to emerge as leading agri-entrepreneurs in the state.
The workshop sought to bridge the gap between entrepreneurial
aspirations and the practical requirements of establishing agricultural
enterprises by providing participants with information on investment
possibilities and support mechanisms available under the state government's
framework.
The technical sessions offered detailed insights into
investment opportunities in various agriculture and allied sectors, enabling
participants to explore business models that could be developed by combining
their professional expertise with emerging opportunities in the state's
agricultural economy.
The event also brought together officials, industry
representatives and veterans to deliberate on the prospects of strengthening
entrepreneurship in agriculture and food processing. A welcome address
outlining the strategic vision for the workshop was delivered by Shubhranshu
Mishra, Managing Director, APICOL.
Thematic addresses were delivered by Sriram Panda, Convenor,
and Col Sujan Mohanty (Retd.), Co-Convenor of the Agri and Food Processing
Committee, ICC Odisha State Council.
Lt Gen Jayanta Kumar Mohanty (Retd.) was also present at the
workshop.
The programme underscored the potential of ex-servicemen as a valuable entrepreneurial resource for Odisha's agriculture sector, particularly at a time when the state is seeking to promote value addition, food processing and investment across the broader agri-allied ecosystem.
By positioning MKUY as a platform for veterans to transition from service careers to enterprise creation, the workshop highlighted a model that could simultaneously support ex-servicemen entrepreneurship and contribute to the diversification and modernisation of Odisha's agricultural economy.
