A two-week (15th March-27th March) Faculty Development Programme on Entrepreneurship Development organised by Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmadabad, Eastern Regional Office in association with KISS Deemed to be University, supported by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India concluded on 27th March, 2021. This platform witnessed various angles of entrepreneurship in the sessions by experts from different walks of life. Perfect amalgamation of theory, training and exposure visits fuelled-up the enthusiasm of the participants, who either wish to teach entrepreneurs or are aspiring to become one.
Joining the valedictory session virtually from Ahmedabad, the Director General of EDII, Dr. Sunil Shukla spoke on the significance of faculty development programmes especially in the area of entrepreneurship. In his deliberation, he appreciated the start-up ecosystem in the state of Odisha and also stated the various barriers which pull back people to explore the business opportunities. According to Dr. Shukla, lack of interest, desire for more time, confidence and family issues create a wall in the way of the success of some of the initiatives like Stand-up India, Start-up India and so on and so forth. “Women empowerment can happen only through entrepreneurship”, said Dr. Shukla.
Speaking on the occasion the Guest of Honour, Ms. Debjani Samantaray, National Project Manager, United Nations Volunteers (UNVs) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said “We are all catalyst of change and we are in this together, creating ripple effect and multiplier effect. Together we can and we will make a difference. Corona is both a curse and boon, lot of women connected in the entrepreneurial challenge during the Covid-19 pandemic. I would champion women entrepreneurs more because only then the whole society progresses hence, creating a circle of power where every individual is a single dot in the circle”. Mr. Samik Sundar Das, Senior Rural Development Specialist, The World Bank said that the mentor mentee relationship plays a crucial role in entrepreneurship and the best entrepreneur is a poor person who has the passion to overcome all challenges and difficulties. An entrepreneur knows how to deal with barriers, fighting on a daily basis to bring solutions. Dr. Samanta is a true entrepreneur who has made the State proud with his work and social innovation”. He added.
Dr. Subrata Kumar Biswal, Regional Head EDII, in his speech talked about the role of faculty development programmes in propelling the initiatives by the Government and in training budding entrepreneurs. Dr. Biswal also shared that the idea is to create awareness in the State on Entrepreneurship and generate more employment. Dr. Prashanta Kumar Routray, Registrar KISS-DU in his address said “there is dire need for training master trainers who will contribute to the development of the faculty members in the sphere of entrepreneurship. KISS and KISS-DU have been relentlessly working on sustainable livelihood since its inception and we wish to achieve many more milestones in the future”. The Valedictory Session concluded with the distribution of certificates.
Dr. Snigdharani Panda, Associate Dean (Tribal Resource Management) KISS-DU delivered the Vote of Thanks.