Pravati Parida Backs Mission Shakti for Women's Enterprise Growth

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Saturday, 8 August 2026

Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida has called for stronger support for women-led enterprises under Mission Shakti, with a focus on improving quality, competitiveness and long-term sustainability.

CM Parida chaired a one-day State-Level Seminar-cum-Review Meeting on strengthening women-led enterprises on 7 August 2026 at Krushi Shiksha Sadan, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar. The Mission Shakti Department organised the meeting to review livelihood programmes and discuss measures to improve their implementation across the state.

Key Highlights:

• Odisha prioritises quality and sustainability in women-led enterprises
• Mission Shakti will strengthen market access and digital adoption
• The state aims to expand women’s incomes and rural livelihoods

Speaking at the meeting, Pravati said enhancing the quality, competitiveness and sustainability of women-led enterprises remains a key priority for the Odisha Government. She highlighted improved market access, capacity building and technology adoption as important measures for increasing women’s incomes and supporting their economic self-reliance.

The Deputy Chief Minister also urged government departments, banks, livelihood missions and other stakeholders to work in closer coordination to strengthen women’s enterprises and rural livelihoods. She stressed the need to address implementation challenges and create a stronger support system for women entrepreneurs.

The review covered the progress of various livelihood programmes across Odisha, with discussions focusing on field-level experiences, challenges and possible solutions. Officials also examined ways to improve the effectiveness of livelihood initiatives, encourage the growth of women-led enterprises and strengthen coordination among agencies involved in programme delivery.

Market access emerged as a major priority, with the government seeking stronger connections to local, national and digital markets. Such linkages could help women entrepreneurs expand their customer base, increase sales and improve household incomes. The government also aims to strengthen training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy and digital tools while encouraging Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and women-led businesses to adopt technology for sales and business management.

The meeting brought together Mission Shakti Commissioner-cum-Secretary Manasi Nimbhal, Mission Shakti Director Dr Monica Priyadarshini, senior officials from the Mission Shakti Department and Odisha Livelihoods Mission, along with district- and block-level officials from across the state.

The latest push builds on Odisha’s wider efforts to strengthen women’s economic participation through Mission Shakti. Lakhs of women have joined SHGs across the state, gaining greater access to livelihood opportunities and financial, social and digital empowerment. The state is also pursuing the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ model to increase the number of women earning at least ₹1 lakh annually, while promoting the ‘MahaLakhpati Didi’ concept to encourage higher income levels.