ASSOCHAM’s O-LEADS 2026 Calls for Stronger Industry-Academia-Startup Collaboration

“Don’t look at startups only as vendors. Look at them as innovation partners”: Minister Sampad Chandra Swain

Bhubaneswar (Odisha Tazanewws) :- ASSOCHAM organised O-LEADS 2026 – Odisha: The Global Growth Hub in Bhubaneswar on Friday, bringing together government representatives, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and academic institutions to strengthen Odisha’s startup ecosystem and accelerate industrial growth. Addressing the inaugural session, Industries and Skill Development & Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain called for stronger collaboration among industry, academia, startups and the government to translate investments into jobs and innovation.

“Don’t look at startups only as vendors. Look at them as innovation partners,” Swain said, urging industries to identify real business challenges and engage startups to develop solutions. He stressed the need to move startups from incubation to commercialisation through pilot projects, mentorship, testing facilities and market access. The minister stressed the need to move startups from incubation to commercialisation by providing pilot projects, testing facilities, mentorship and market access.

He also called for greater industry participation in curriculum design, internships, apprenticeships, faculty development and workforce planning to prepare young people for emerging sectors such as semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, electronics, automation and green energy. Shri Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, Chairman, Odisha State Development Council, ASSOCHAM, and CMD, MGM Group, said, “Our vision goes beyond making Odisha merely startup-friendly; we must build an ecosystem where startups are born, enterprises scale, industries innovate, and Odisha-born businesses compete globally.”

Smt Rashmita Panda, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, MSME Department, Government of Odisha, said stronger alignment among policy, academia and industry was essential to help startups scale globally. She highlighted the role of the proposed new Startup Policy, equity funding and industry collaboration in supporting entrepreneurs. Shri AbanisNayak, Chairman, Odisha State Startup Council, ASSOCHAM, said innovation would drive the state’s next phase of growth.

He expressed confidence that collective efforts by the government, industry and academia would help achieve the goal of a “Samruddha Odisha” before 2036. Dr Prabodh Mohanty, Co-Chair, Odisha State Development Council, ASSOCHAM, and Managing Director, SNM Group, emphasised the need for startups to solve real commercial and industrial problems. He called for a stronger journey from ideas to products, customers, scale and global markets to support Odisha’s ambition of becoming a $500 billion economy by 2036.

Dr Alexander Das, Chairman, Odisha State Education Council, ASSOCHAM, and Chairman, Kalinga Group of Institutions, highlighted the importance of combining industrial challenges, entrepreneurial mentorship, investment and academic talent to address global problems. Shri Debankur Ghosh, Co-Chair, IT & Emerging Tech Council, and Partner, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), stressed deeper collaboration between industry and academia to turn research into high-impact innovation.

The two-day conclave, being held on October 9 and 10, focuses on scaling industries and startups, commercialising research and strengthening industry-academia partnerships. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Shri SaurabhSanyal, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM. The conclave continues on Saturday.