Bhubaneswar: A six-day residential Faculty Mentor Development Programme for 40 selected faculty members from higher education institutions and universities in Odisha concluded today at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The programme was conducted from 21st to 26th September, 2026 at the EDII, Gandhinagar campus.
The programme aims to strengthen the entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem across higher education institutions in Odisha.
On 5th September, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj launched the programme. Under the initiative, the Higher Education Department, Government of Odisha, selected 40 faculty members from government colleges and universities across the state in the first phase and sent them to EDII for specialised training.
During the six-day intensive programme, participants were trained by experts on various aspects of entrepreneurship, including entrepreneurship pedagogy, business idea generation, Business Model Canvas, start-up mentoring, setting up incubation centres, funding opportunities, innovation and intellectual property rights (IPR).
On the final day, the faculty members presented Individual Action Plans for their respective institutions. The plans outlined proposed activities such as setting up Entrepreneurship Development Cells and Entrepreneurship Clubs, as well as organising Start-up Bootcamps on their campuses, along with tentative timelines for implementation.
Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj congratulated the participating faculty members and said, “This programme is an important step towards strengthening the start-up ecosystem in Odisha’s higher education institutions. By equipping faculty members with the knowledge and skills to mentor students and promote entrepreneurship, we aim to create greater opportunities for innovation and new ventures across campuses. The initiative will also contribute to fostering a culture of entrepreneurship among students and supporting the vision of a Viksit Odisha.”
On the occasion, EDII Director General Dr. Sunil Shukla said, “This programme will pave the way for building a large-scale entrepreneurship culture in government institutions. This is a visionary initiative of the Government of Odisha. The real beneficiaries will be the students and the entire academic ecosystem, which will play a crucial role in realising the dream of a Viksit Odisha.”
