Bhubaneswar, Sept 4: In a significant step towards fostering women's empowerment and entrepreneurship, FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) Bhubaneswar, the women wing of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) hosted the 2nd General Body Meeting of FICCI FLO during which it signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with Common Services Centres (CSC), KIIT Technology and Business Incubator (TBI), Bhubaneswar City Knowledge Innovation Cluster (BCKIC) and Sri Sri University.
A FLO Bazaar was also organised to empower the women led businesses from various sectors.The leadership team of FICCI FLO met Honourable CM Shri Naveen Patnaik and Smt. Sujata R. Karthikeyan, IAS Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Mission Shakti Department, Government of Odisha, to apprise them of the work done by FLO Bhubaneswar towards women's development and discuss the possibilities of further collaboration.
A Panel Discussion on “Women Empowerment and The Way Ahead” was held to emphasize necessary changes required in the field of entrepreneurship for women. Shri Amar Pattnaik, MP Rajya Sabha, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour, alongside esteemed panelists such as National FLO President Smt. Sudha Sivakumar, FICCI National President Shri Subhrakant Panda, Mayor of Bhubaneswar Smt. Sulochana Das, and Smt. Sulata Deo, MP Rajya Sabha. They shared their insights and perspectives on the next steps required for the betterment of society as a whole.
FICCI Ladies Organisation has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with Common Services Centres (CSC), KIIT Technology and Business Incubator (TBI), Bhubaneswar City Knowledge Innovation Cluster (BCKIC) and Sri Sri Universityto provide a platform for nurturing women-led startups and entrepreneurs, enhancing their skills, and promoting innovation within the sector.
The FLO Bazaar brought together 22 women entrepreneurs to showcase their products and expertise in handlooms, handicrafts, food products, kids’ collections, home decor etc. and has given them an opportunity to promote themselves PAN India.
While commenting on the event Sudha Shivkumar, National President stated, “The signing ofthe MoUtoday signifies a significant milestone in the journey towards fostering a conducive environment for women to venture into the business landscape, enabling them to contribute actively to socio-economic development. We are very happy that FLO Bhubaneswar is taking huge steps to foster women empowerment from grass root levels.”
Speaking on the occasion, Poonam Mohapatra, Chairperson FLO Bhubaneswar, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, "These partnershipsare a pivotal step in our collective journey towards empowering women in the entrepreneurial landscape. By fostering innovation and providing access to skill development, we aim to equip women with the tools they need to succeed and lead in various industries."
FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), the all-India forum for business-women signed a MoU with SriSri University, Cuttack with an objective to support the Digital Mentorship platform for women across the country. As per the MoU, the Digital Mentorship platform for women is designed to help aspiring women start their own enterprises and mentor existing entrepreneurs to overcome business challenges.
BCKIC and KIIT TBI joined hands withFLO, Bhubaneswar to establish a supportive ecosystem that fosters innovation and entrepreneurial growth among women and to facilitate skill development programs to empower women entrepreneurs, focusing on areas such as leadership, technology adoption, and business management.
FLO Bhubaneswar also inked an MoU with CSC e-Governance Services India Limited (CSC SPV) which will focus on up-skilling and entrepreneurial training programs across diverse fields such as agriculture, technology-driven farming techniques, and services like mushroom cultivation tailored for women in Boudh.
