Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship, opened the two-day 100 Cube Start-up Conclave at IIT Bhubaneswar’s Research and Entrepreneurship Park (REP). Participants included representatives of foreign governments, industry delegates (especially from the deep tech sector), academia, start-ups, students, and other notable business leaders. Secretary of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Shri Sanjay K. Murthy; Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Shri Sanjay Kumar; Director, IIT Bhubaneswar, Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar; Chairman, Board of Governors, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Singh was also in attendance.
In his speech, Shri Pradhan stated that the 100 Cube Conclave has set the groundwork to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit of eastern India and that the opening of the Research & Entrepreneurship Park at IIT Bhubaneswar is a historic day for Odisha. This project, according to Shri Pradhan, will be a 21st-century temple that will inspire and assist young people to dream large, innovate, and create value, much like the Konark temple, a symbol of Odisha’s architectural brilliance.
Additionally, he stated that the youth initiatives of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have made sure that the Amrit Kaal becomes the golden age for the younger generations. Appreciating the corporations and investors who have signed memorandums of understanding and made significant contributions to support the project, he asked that youngsters should remain in your hands. He went on to say that the world views India and its youth with hope, thus it is imperative to give the gifted kids an ecosystem that supports them using a perspective that encompasses the entire society.
According to Shri Pradhan, academic institutions possess the ability to offer solutions to worldwide issues, and creativity is ingrained in Odia society. According to him, programs like 100 Cube Odisha will unleash the latent potential of young people and facilitate solution-driven innovation and the start-up revolution. According to Shri Pradhan, this project will be driven by the trio of youth, faculty, and industry. He extended an invitation to everyone to leave an inventive and enterprising legacy that will motivate the globe in the years to come.
In addition, the Minister digitally laid the groundwork for multiple infrastructure projects and opened the new auditorium. The program included a brief film on the REP as well. 16 startups and REP exchanged memorandums of understanding. Four IIT Bhubaneswar-incubated businesses were given grant checks by Oil India Ltd. Before the Conclave officially opened, dignitaries toured an exhibition of startup products.
