NUA Odisha Global Summit Brings New Ideas Leading to Impact on Growth & Employment

Bureau, Odishabarta, Bhubaneswar, 20 February 2024: The 2-Day NUA Odisha Global Summit on Growth &
Employment at Bhubaneswar concluded on Tuesday. The summit served as a platform for
thought churning and exchange of ideas, best practices, and innovations in the field of skill
development and employment generation while accelerating the growth of the state.

Organized by the Department of Skill Development and Technical Education (SDTE) Govt of
Odisha, the first of its kind summit saw participation of over 500 delegates including 100 plus
industry captains and HR heads along with academia and skill sector stakeholders. A total of 16
different sessions during the summit were made vibrant with ideas, insightful discussions and
deliberations leading to a long-term impact on the growth and employment in the state.
At a press conference after the event, Smt. Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary SDTE Dept,
Government of Odisha, said “Odisha possesses significant potential to establish modern
industries. The state government’s dynamic industrial policy attracts many investors. In addition
to traditional industries, Odisha has vast potential in IT and ITeS, manufacturing, FMCG, logistics
& supply chain, and various service sectors. Furthermore, under the ‘Skilled In Odisha’ initiative,
our state is actively preparing youth for the future to cater the demands of tomorrow. The
thought churning held over the two-day event shall play an important role in shaping the
roadmap for our future initiatives.”

While inaugurating the summit on Monday, Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik
expressed that the program will pave the way for the state’s long-term development and
capacity building of youth for the future of work. Shri Kartik Pandian, Chairman 5T and Nabin
Odisha also joined in and presented insights on the new era of Odisha’s transformation.
On day-1 of the event, Shri Pritiranjan Gharai, Hon’ble Minister of Skill Development and
Technical Education emphasized that by building ‘Skilled In Odisha’ as a global brand, Odisha is
now recognized as a significant skill development hub.

On the 2nd day of the summit, an interactive session on ‘Championing Women’s
Empowerment’ with Smt Sujata Rout Karthikeyan, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Mission Shakti
highlighted the impact of women empowerment programs in the state. She elaborated on how
the strength of over 70 lakh women contributes to the growth of Odisha.
Earlier in the day, former corporate leader and current BJD National Spokesperson Dr Santrupt
Misra, and Shri Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary Industries Department, participated in the
different sessions.
The valedictory session was graced by Smt. Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary SDTE Dept GoO,
Smt. Alka Misra, Chairperson Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) and Shri Reghu G, CEO
OSDA. The state government expressed gratitude to the galaxy of stalwarts present from
diverse sectors nationally and internationally for their valuable inputs.

A coffee table book showcasing the stories of nano entrepreneurs from the hinterlands of
Odisha nurtured under the flagship ‘Swakalpa’ initiative of the state govt was released
on the occasion.