Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Urges CAs to Support Grassroots Initiatives in Sambalpur
Empowering Local Enterprises
Sambalpur: On Saturday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan encouraged the Chartered Accountant (CA) community to collaborate with Agricultural Producer Organisations (APOs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), street vendors, and the 'Lakhpati Didis' initiative.
During the opening session of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) Sub-Regional Conference 'Saksham-2025' at IIM Sambalpur, Pradhan stressed the importance of backing grassroots enterprises.
Speaking on the theme 'Saksham – Empowering Professionals, Enabling Progress', he asserted that Chartered Accountants are crucial to bolstering India's economy. He pointed out that their expertise has been instrumental in elevating India to the position of the fifth-largest economy globally, with aspirations to become the third-largest soon.
Pradhan remarked, 'The CA community is pivotal in India's economic advancement.'
He acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the first Indian leader to recognize the contributions of wealth creators, including Chartered Accountants, who have served as catalysts in this regard.
The Minister also revealed that Odisha aims to establish 100 successful startups, referred to as '100 cubes', by 2036, each projected to be valued at Rs 100 crore. He highlighted the necessity of fostering a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem to realize this goal.
'Our emphasis should be on the progression from idea to innovation, innovation to technology, and technology to scaling up,' he stated.
Pradhan noted the expansion of India's startup ecosystem, which boasts over 2.5 lakh startups valued at around Rs 40 lakh crore, providing jobs for more than 7 lakh individuals. He underscored the need to create fresh opportunities and platforms for youth while supporting traditional businesses and nurturing new ventures.
Identifying Sambalpur as a potential startup hub, he pointed to opportunities in textiles, garments, agri-products, and digital services.
He also proposed that IIM Sambalpur should evolve into a green campus within the next five years. 'We must initiate appropriate actions now, such as tree planting and environmental conservation, to achieve this objective,' he urged.
'Our goal is to transform Sambalpur into a sustainable, green, and clean city, and this change can start with small, consistent efforts,' Pradhan concluded.