Sambalpur: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Saturday called on the Chartered Accountant (CA) community to engage with Agricultural Producer Organisations (APOs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), street vendors, and ‘Lakhpati Didis’ initiative.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) Sub-Regional Conference ‘Saksham-2025’ at IIM Sambalpur, Pradhan emphasised the need to support such grassroots enterprises.
Addressing the audience on the theme “Saksham – Empowering Professionals, Enabling Progress”, the Minister said that Chartered Accountants play a vital role in strengthening India’s economy.
He highlighted that the expertise of professionals in this field has contributed to making India the fifth-largest economy in the world, and projected that India is poised to become the third-largest in the near future.
“The CA community is playing a significant role in India’s economic journey,” Pradhan said.
He also noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to give due recognition to the wealth creators of the country — a group in which Chartered Accountants
have acted as catalysts.
The Minister further shared that Odisha has set an ambitious target of establishing 100 successful startups, termed “100 cubes”, by 2036, each with an estimated valuation of Rs100 crore. To achieve this, Pradhan emphasised the importance of developing a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“Our focus should be on the journey from idea to innovation, innovation to technology, and technology to scaling up,” he stated.
Highlighting the growth of the startup ecosystem in India, Pradhan said that over 2.5 lakh startups, with a combined valuation of approximately Rs.40 lakh crore, are providing employment to more than 7 lakh people. He stressed the need to create new opportunities and platforms to empower youth, while also supporting traditional businesses and advancing new ventures.
Pradhan identified Sambalpur as a potential startup hub, citing opportunities in sectors such as textiles, garments, agri-products, and digital services.
He also suggested that IIM Sambalpur should be transformed into a green campus over the next five years. “We must take the right steps now, such as tree plantation and environmental conservation, to achieve this goal,” he urged.
“We need to make Sambalpur a sustainable, green, and clean city, and this transformation can begin with small, consistent efforts,” Pradhan concluded.
UNI