Rourkela: The lack of local employment opportunities in Rourkela continues to force skilled graduates of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) and several private engineering and vocational colleges located in Steel City to seek jobs outside Odisha.
A proposed incubation centre at the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) Rourkela campus was expected to boost local employment, but its construction remains unfinished.
Planned in 2023 at an estimated cost of Rs20 crore, the 40,000 sq ft facility was designed to attract domestic and international companies and thereby, generate jobs in the region.
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However, prolonged delays in its completion have hindered progress, raising concerns among industry experts and job seekers alike.
Currently, seven small IT firms operate from STPI Rourkela in Sector 5, but the city’s infrastructure has failed to attract major multinational corporations such as Infosys, Deloitte, TCS, Accenture, Cognizant, and Wipro. These companies have cited inadequate infrastructure and lack of large-scale enterprise support as key reasons for not investing in the region.
STPI Bhubaneswar Director Surya Kumar Pattnayak said the incubation centre, once made operational, could significantly improve employment prospects by supporting startups, fostering innovation, and attracting investors.
However, he acknowledged that key steps, such as marketing the facility and formally inviting businesses to set up operations, remain unaddressed. Without proactive efforts to promote the centre, its impact on the local job market may be limited. Experts believe that establishing state-backed enterprise hubs and skill development centres could help retain talent. These initiatives could provide mentorship, networking opportunities, high-speed internet, and uninterrupted electricity—critical resources for startups and emerging businesses.
Without such infrastructure, thousands of graduates from Rourkela and western Odisha continue to migrate to cities such as Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, and Kolkata, or even abroad in search of better job prospects.
The completion of the STPI incubation centre’s construction is now targeted for the second half of the year, though the repeated delays have cast doubt on whether it will fulfil its intended role in strengthening the region’s employment landscape.
Local industry leaders have urged authorities to expedite construction and ensure the facility becomes a driving force for job creation in Rourkela.
PNN
