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DMF Udyami: With the Baton in the Hands of Women

Fostering Entrepreneurship in Keonjhar ...Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) -

Gujarat Chapter
Entrepreneurship has the power to transform communities by creating sustainable
livelihood options. For people displaced on account of industrial or mining activities, it
could prove to be a result-oriented developmental and rehabilitation tool. Recognizing Women as entrepreneurs are unique. They don’t just build businesses; they transform
this, EDII was beckoned by the District Skill Development-cum-Employment Office communities and fuel economic growth. To harness the unparalleled potential in
(DSDEO), Keonjhar, under the funding support from District Mineral Foundation women, the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) - Gujarat Chapter, sponsored by
(DMF), Keonjhar, to initiate entrepreneurship related rehabilitation initiatives under Industries & Mines Department, Government of Gujarat, has been launched. Managed
project DMF Udyami. Project DMF Udyami is aimed at strengthening the by EDII, the platform is designed as a one-stop stage, mandated to provide access to
entrepreneurial ecosystem in the district. The initiative is extending hands-on training training, incubation, mentoring, policy advocacy and market linkages, to women. “EDII
& skill building to people at seven mining affected blocks & municipal wards of is implementing the initiative at the grassroots level across Gujarat seeking to foster a
Keonjhar District, Odisha. robust ecosystem where women can overcome barriers and scale their business with
confidence,” informed Dr. Amit Kumar Dwivedi, Project Director.
To support this vision and to foster enterprise development, a state-of-the-art District
Incubation Centre integrated with DMF Sankalp, along with seven Block Level Micro In the last two months, 9 Entrepreneurship Awareness Programmes (EAPs) were
Enterprise Resource Centres, will be established. Over 10,000 youth, PwDs, widows conducted at various locations, benefitted over 946 women. These programmes not
including 3200 budding, aspiring & existing entrepreneurs and 7000 entrepreneurs will only introduced participants to entrepreneurship as a viable career option but also
be supported over 5years. addressed the social, economic and familial barriers they often face.

For participants, WEP is an opportunity to reimagine their future. By promoting
awareness, building skills and promoting access to markets and networking, the
platform is opening up doors for women who thought ‘setting up a business’, was
beyond their reach. With its planned activities, WEP - Gujarat Chapter will reach out to
nearly 3200 women in 33 districts of Gujarat in the coming months.

September 3, 2025: Dignitaries at the launch ceremony of Project DMF Udyami (L-R): Shri A.
K. Mohanta, General Manager, District Industries Centre (DIC), Keonjhar; Shri Ganeswar
Nayak, District Skill Development and Employment Officer; Shri Ananta Nayak, Hon'ble
Member of Parliament, Keonjhar; Shri Vishal Singh, IAS, Collector and District Magistrate
(DM), Keonjhar; Dr. Reena Pradhan, IAS, Chief Executive Officer, District Mineral Foundation,
Keonjhar and Shri C. R. Patnaik, Advisor and Regional In-charge.

From 12th to 14th August, 2025, an Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP)
was conducted for 60 Producer Groups, Farmer Producer Organization (FPO)
members, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and aspiring entrepreneurs at Keonjhar. The
programme covered focused on MSME Schemes, Mukhya Mantri Krishi Udyam Yojana
(MKUY) process, Skill Development Scheme and DMF Udyami services and benefits,
inaddition to iparting knowledge on entrepreneurial skills & competencies, managing
resources and networks for setting up new enterprises. The programme is being Women Participants of Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme (EAP).
coordinated by Mr.Chittaranjan Pattnaik, Regional Head, EDII- EROB; Mr. Sachikant
Mallick, Regional Coordinator, EDII-EROB, Bhubaneswar; Mr. Sanjay Kumar Sahoo,
Project Manager, EDII, DMF-Udayami Project.

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