Odisha CM Mohan Majhi Launches WEP to Boost Women Entrepreneurs

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Monday, 29 June 2026

Odisha Government has recently launched Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) as part of the renowned ‘Udyami Odisha MSME’ program. This initiative aims at nurturing women-led ventures in all industries, where women entrepreneurs will get more assistance in terms of institutional facilities, skills development, finance, networking, and market exposure.

The launch was organized and held at the Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar by the Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who inaugurated this new scheme on Saturday.

The government of Odisha has forged a partnership with NITI Aayog for the establishment of a State Chapter of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform. This partnership ensures that there is a unique state chapter designed to enhance the institutional support framework of women entrepreneurs in Odisha.

The initiative is an attempt at creating a complete system where women entrepreneurs can find financial aid, mentorship programs, networking possibilities, market access, and capacity building programs. Women will be able to start their own businesses and become job creators rather than job-seekers, helping economic sustainability and development.

Key Highlights:

• Odisha launches WEP to empower women-led businesses and startups
• Women-led industrial enterprises in Odisha rise from 25% to 53%
• Single-window WEP offers finance, mentorship, skills and market access

Addressing the audience, Chief Minister Mohan talked about the amazing success of women’s involvement in industrial activity in the state. According to him, there has been an amazing increase in the number of women-led enterprises within the industrial sector of the state: women-run companies make up 53 per cent of all industrial ventures compared to the initial figure of 25 per cent.

By developing a framework that puts women at the forefront, this effective entrepreneurship support ecosystem ensures empowerment of women in establishing successful businesses, creating self-sufficiency and confidence in women.

Speaking about the initiative, the Chief Minister called it a strategic move, which would help to capitalize on the positive momentum in women entrepreneurship in the state and institutionalize women’s participation in the economy as one of the key pillars of the development agenda of Odisha.

"Women are playing a crucial role today. They have entered into small business ventures and surpassed the 53 per cent bar. With the help of NITI Aayog, a Women's Entrepreneurship Platform was launched in Odisha, WEP - Odisha Chapter. Through this, women will not only become empowered but also become entrepreneurs. After that, they will not search for employment but become employers,” CM Mohan said.

In order to achieve all of these, the Chief Minister has presented an action plan for the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (Odisha chapter). This one year action plan sets out the main priorities and performance indicators of the WEP-Odisha Chapter in terms of creating more linkages in credit, accelerating regulatory approvals, accessing government assistance programs, etc.

The platform will combine Mission Shakti, the MSME department, Startup Odisha, commercial banks, and trade associations to facilitate smoother operations and minimise bureaucracy. This approach is expected to contribute towards making the enterprises resilient, accessing growth funds and markets, improving productivity and reinforcing the role of women entrepreneurs in inclusive growth and job creation in the state of Odisha.