Lok Sabha Question No. 1233 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-08
Subject: Assessment of Employment Opportunities in Odisha
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1233

ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025

## ASSESSMENT OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN ODISHA

1233. SMT. SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the Government has conducted any assessment on the potential of rural and social entrepreneurship to create viable employment opportunities for low-skilled youth in economically constrained States, particularly in regions such as Odisha where start-up activity is increasing but labour market gaps persist;
- (b) if so, the details of findings relating to Odisha, especially regarding the capacity of existing skill  training  institutes,  the  demand-supply  mismatch  in  trained  manpower  along  with  the utilisation of central programmes such as PM-Vishwakarma, PMKVY 4.0, and the Rural SelfEmployment Training Institutes (RSETIs) in strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystems;
- (c) whether district-level data is available for Bolangir on the number of trainees supported under entrepreneurship development initiatives, the availability of incubation and credit-linkage support, and the extent to which such programmes have contributed to local enterprise creation and employment generation; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d): The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has undertaken a study titled 'National Skill Gap Study for High Growth Sectors' under the Skills Acquisition and Knowledge  Awareness  for  Livelihood  Promotion  (SANKALP)  programme  through  National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER).  The aim of the study is to create a dynamic framework  for  forecasting  sector  and  State-level  skill  demand  using  national  data  sets  and labour market information and identifying reasons for demands-supply mismatch. The study sets up  a  methodology  to  locate  high  growth  sectors,  job  roles  and  geographic  clusters  which indicates where new Entreprises and self-employment (including Rural and Social enterprises) are most visible. The Report has been published and has been circulated to all the State Skill Missions for its implementation  and  replication in conducting State specific skill  gap assessments.

Further, District Skill Development Plans (DSDPs) are mandated under MSDE's decentralized planning approach with District Skill Committees preparing annual plans using labour market assessment, sector prioritization and local skill gap analysis.

These assessments have enabled the Government to enhance its skill training programmes, curriculum development and skill initiatives to align them with the identified skill gaps, sectorwise upskilling and re-skilling initiatives, apprenticeship, vocational, or on the job trainings; areas of collaboration with industry including opportunities for establishing partnerships; industry led training programmes, internship or mentorship programmes to bridge the gap between industry needs and the skill possessed by the work force.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through the Skill India Mission delivers skilling, reskilling and upskilling training through a network of Skill development centers under various schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 4.0) in which skill development training through Short-Term Training (STT) and up-skilling and re-skilling through Recognition  of  Prior  Learning  (RPL)  is  imparted  to  the  youth  across  the  country  including Odisha.As  on  31.10.2025,  49,157  candidates  have  been  trained/  oriented  in  Odisha  under PMKVY 4.0 through 322 empanelled Training Centres.

Further,  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE),  in  collaboration  with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance (MoF) launched the PM-Vishwakarma Scheme to  provide  'Sammaan,  Saamarthya  and  Samriddhi'  to  traditional  artisans  and  craft  persons working with their hands and tools. Establishment of Training Centres and conducting Training under the scheme is initiated based on the number of candidates available in any particular trade (of the 18 trades covered under the scheme) for each district of any State/ UT. As on 26.11.2025, a total of 84,525 beneficiaries has been trained and assessed in the state of Odisha, out of which 6047 are from the district of Bolangir.

Moreover, Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI) is a Bank lead- Ministry of Rural Development  (MoRD)  funded  training  institution  established  by  the  Sponsor  Banks  in  their Districts, to provide training for Skill and Entrepreneurship Development. Currently 30 RSETIs in  Odisha  are  active  across  most  districts  and  contribute  significantly  to  micro-enterprise creation. From the inception of the scheme till October 2025, a total of 9226 beneficiaries has been trained  in  Bolangir  district  of  Odisha,  out  of  which  7580  have  started  their  own  micro enterprises.

Further, MSDE, through its autonomous Institutes, namely National Institute for Entrepreneurship  and  Small  Business  Development  (NIESBUD)  and  Indian  Institute  of Entrepreneurship (IIE) has taken various initiatives to promote entrepreneurship development amongst all sections of the society, including rural youth of Bolangir, Odisha. MSDE has also collaborated  with  both  private  and  public  sector  to  empower  entrepreneurs  by  providing incubation support, network of mentors, industry connect, credit and market linkages. The details of such initiatives undertaken by the Ministry are placed at Annexure I.

There are various schemes/ programmes being implemented by other Ministries/ Departments of Government of India with the objective of skill development and promotion of entrepreneurship including in the state of Odisha. The details of some of the key initiatives implemented by other Ministries/ Departments in the state of Odisha are at Annexure II.

## ANNEXURES REFERRED TO IN REPLY OF PART (a) to (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1233 ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025 REGARDING 'ASSESSMENT OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN ODISHA'

Annexure I

The details of various entrepreneurship development initiatives being implemented by the Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  for  entrepreneurs  across  country, including the state of Odisha are as under:

1.  Pradhan  Mantri  Janjati  Adivasi  Nyaya  Maha  Abhiyan  (PM  JANMAN) -MSDE,  through NIESBUD and IIE, is implementing the skilling and entrepreneurship component of PM JANMAN -a scheme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs for upliftment of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), since  March  2024.  The  scheme  focuses  on  11  critical  interventions  related  to  9  key  Ministries, including MSDE. One of the key interventions of the Ministry is to facilitate skill and entrepreneurship development in Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs). The project is being implemented with support of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) in 15 States across the country under which a total of 500 VDVKs are to be set up.

As  on  04.12.2025,  a  total  of  458  VDVKs  have  been  operationalized  and  a  total  of  36,684 beneficiaries have been trained under Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) of PM JANMAN, out of which 2328 are trained in Odisha. In Odisha PM JANMAN is being implemented in the districts of Angul, Deoghar, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Kenojhar, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Naupada, Raygada and Sundargarh.

2. Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana Scheme (PM SGMBY Scheme) -The Ministry, in  collaboration  with  the  Ministry  of  New  and  Renewable  Energy  (MNRE),  is  organizing Entrepreneurship  Development  Programme  (EDP)  on  Solar  Entrepreneurship  under  MNRE's flagship scheme PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

The  programme  aims  to  promote  rooftop  solar  adoption,  empower  entrepreneurs,  and  create sustainable livelihood opportunities by fostering and mentoring budding and existing entrepreneurs in  the  field  of  solar  entrepreneurship.  Between  July  2024  (inception)  and  25-11-2025,  20,499 beneficiaries have been trained in the Entrepreneurship Development Programme of the scheme, out of which 2268 are trained in Odisha and 209 in the Bolangir district.

3.  Strengthening  Entrepreneurial  Climate  through  Capacity  Building,  Incubation  Support, Mentoring, and Handholding under  SANKALP  Scheme -MSDE, through  NIESBUD implemented a project for strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem of different marginalized sections  of  the  society  and  women  under  the  Skills  Acquisition  and  Knowledge  Awareness  for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Scheme between December 2022 and March 2025. The scheme aimed at creating, fostering and promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship among the various target groups through Capacity Building, Incubation Support, Mentoring and Handholding. SANKALP has been implemented in three phases. Under SANKALP 1, a total of 23825 beneficiaries were trained during Financial Years 2022-23 to 2024-25. 2950 trained candidates belonged to Odisha including 126  from  Bolangir.  Under  SANKALP  2,  a  total  of  24000  beneficiaries  has  been  trained  during Financial Year 2022-23 to 2024-25 including 1050 candidates from Odisha and 180 from Bolangir. Under SANKALP 3, a total of 15000 beneficiaries has been trained during Financial Year 2024-25, out of which 1559 were from Odisha including 248 from Bolangir.
4. Pilot Project for Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) NIESBUD implemented a Pilot Project for Entrepreneurship Development Program in 10 States supported by the Ministry of Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship,  from  January  2020  to  March  2023,  which  aimed  at creating, fostering and promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship among the target groups through Entrepreneurship Development Programme, Mentoring and Handholding support. A total of 5000 beneficiaries were trained under the project during Financial Years 2019-20 to 2022-23, out of which 120 beneficiaries were trained in Bolangir district of Odisha.

The details of various entrepreneurship development initiatives being implemented by other Ministries/ Departments of Government of India for entrepreneurs across country, including the state of Odisha are as under:

1. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) The Government with an intent to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation, startups and encouraging investments launched  the  Startup  India  initiative  on  16th  January  2016.  Under  Startup  India  initiative,  the Government constantly undertakes various efforts, including policy, regulatory and fiscal measures, for  the  development  and  growth  of  startup  ecosystem.  The  flagship  Schemes,  namely,  Fund  of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) support startups at various stages of their business cycle. The Government also  implements  periodic  exercises  and  programs  including  States'  Startup  Ranking,  National Startup Awards, and Innovation Week which play an important role in the holistic development of the startup ecosystem. Government also encourages and support ecosystem led initiatives such as Startup Mahakumbh which serve as a vibrant platform for stakeholders to network and collaborate.

Initiatives  to  improve market  access and  enable  public  procurement  also  support  startups  in growing and scaling up their businesses have also been undertaken. Digital platforms such as the Startup  India  portal  enable  easy  access  to  resources  and  startup  ecosystem  collaboration.  The Government has also taken various measures to enhance ease of doing business including starting up  of  business,  raising  capital,  and  reducing  compliance  burden  to  simplify  the  regulatory environment and create a conducive business environment.

As on 31st October 2025, the recognized startups have reported to have created over 21.11 lakh direct jobs. Particularly in the State of Odisha , 3,428 entities have been recognized as startups by DPIIT, which have reported to have created more than 40,400 direct jobs as on 31 st  October, 2025.

In addition to the above programmes, DPIIT also reported the following initiatives undertaken by line Ministries and Departments to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among youth:

- i. The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog fosters innovation and entrepreneurship among  India's  youth  through  flagship  programs  like  Atal  Tinkering  Labs  (ATLs)  and  the Community Innovator Fellowship (CIF).
- ii. The Ministry  of  Education 's  Innovation  Cell  (MIC)  and  All  India  Council  for  Technical Education (AICTE) promotes innovation and entrepreneurship across educational institutions.
- iii.   Youth-centric initiatives have been introduced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports such as setting up of the autonomous body called Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat), the purpose of it, is to provide an over-arching institutional mechanism powered by technology for youth development  and  youth-led  development  through  Experiential  Learning  Programs  (ELPs), volunteering opportunities, mentorship programme, etc.
- iv.   Under  the Department  of  Science  &  Technology ,  the  Research,  Development,  and Innovation  (RDI)  Scheme  has  been  approved  to  incentivize  private  sector  participation  in research  and  development  (R&D).  Further,  DST  is  implementing  the  National  Initiative  for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth. The initiative comprises NIDHI-PRAYAS (prototype grant support), NIDHIEIR (Entrepreneur-in-Residence fellowships), NIDHI-iTBI (Inclusive TBIs in Tier-II and Tier-III regions).
- v. The Council  of  Scientific  and  Industrial  Research  (CSIR) through its constituent laboratories/institutes,  is  implementing  the  'Integrated  Skill  Initiative  Program',  intending  to equip  young  minds  with  the  necessary  technological  skills  through  conducting  training programs and workshops.
- vi.   The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has established biotechnology incubation and preincubation centres across States & Union Territories (UTs) under the BioNEST (Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies) and E-YUVA (Encouraging Youth for Undertaking Innovative Research Activities) schemes.

2. Ministry of Rural Development's Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY) is a placement-linked skill development program for rural poor youth in the age group of 1535 years. It empowers the rural poor youth with employable skills and facilitates their participation in regular labour markets, thus providing them with jobs having regular monthly wages at or above the minimum wages.

DDU-GKY guidelines provide for earmarking 50% of the funds for SCs and STs. Under DDUGKY, coverage  of  15%  minorities,  5%  of  PwDs  &  33%  of  women  is  mandatory.  The  self  and  gigemployment have been provisioned in the phase 2 of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana  (DDU-GKY)  with  effect  from  01.04.2025.  As  per  the  DDU-GKY  2.0  Guidelines,  the States/UTs are required to conduct the Skill Gap Assessment.

ORMAS (Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society) under the aegis of Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, Government of Odisha has sanctioned a Skill Gap Study for the State of  Odisha  to  assess  existing  employment  potential,  including  rural  and  social  entrepreneurship opportunities. Work order for conducting the study has already been issued to the selected agency.

3. Ministry of MSME , through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), is implementing Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme  (PMEGP).  It  is  central  sector  scheme generating employment opportunities primarily in rural areas by assisting prospective entrepreneurs in setting up new micro enterprises in the non-farm sector across the country.

PMEGP assists General Category beneficiaries with Margin Money (MM) subsidy of 25% of the project cost in rural areas and 15% in urban areas. For beneficiaries belonging to Special Categories such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, Minorities, Women, Ex-servicemen, Physically Handicapped, Transgenders, beneficiaries belonging to Northeastern Region (NER), Hill and Border areas, and Aspirational Districts, the Margin Money subsidy is 35% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas.  Own  contribution  of  beneficiaries  under  Special  Category  is  05%  and  10%  for  General Category beneficiaries. The maximum cost of project is Rs. 50 lakhs in the manufacturing sector and Rs. 20 lakhs in the service sector. Own contribution of beneficiaries under Special Category is 05% and 10% for General Category beneficiaries.

Initiatives  undertaken  by  the  Ministry  of MSME under PMEGP to promote entrepreneurship and create job opportunities in NER, are as follows:

- i. Enhancement of maximum project cost from Rs. 25 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh for manufacturing sector and from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh for service sector.
- ii. Inclusion  of  applicants  from  Aspirational  districts  and  transgenders  under  special  category eligible for higher subsidy.
- iii. Acceptance  of  PMEGP  applications  from  beneficiaries  in  physical  form  in  19  regional languages since June 2025 excluding Hindi and English i.e., Gujarati, Malayalam, Punjabi, Manipuri, Bangla, Marathi, Tamil, Assamese, Kannada, Kannada, Odiya, Telugu, Bodo, Dogri, Kashmiri, Konkani, Nepali, Sindhi, Urdu, Maithili.
- iv. Enhancing the scope of activities by modifying Negative  list  to  allow  more  activities  under Animal Husbandry like dairy, poultry, aquaculture and sericulture. Furthermore, as a special case, piggery, a major source of livelihood in NER, is allowed in NER States.
- v. All new micro enterprises assisted to mandatorily register under Udyam Portal before physical verification to ensure formalization of the unit and enable access to key MSME benefits.
- vi. A wide range of more than 1,000 Model of Detailed Project Reports have been prepared on various industries and made available on the PMEGP online portal.

Number of micro enterprises assisted, Margin Money subsidy disbursed, estimated employment generated under PMEGP in Bolangir district during, FY 2020-21 to 2025-26 (as on 3.12.2025):

|   S. No. | Financial Year   |   No. of Units Assisted |   Margin Money Subsidy (Rs. Cr) |   Estimated Employment Generated |
|----------|------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------------|----------------------------------|
|        1 | 2020-21          |                     134 |                            3.02 |                             1072 |
|        2 | 2021-22          |                     187 |                            3.96 |                             1496 |
|        3 | 2022-23          |                     189 |                            4.33 |                             1512 |
|        4 | 2023-24          |                     111 |                            3.96 |                              888 |
|        5 | 2024-25          |                      71 |                            1.79 |                              568 |
|        6 | 2025-26          |                     127 |                            3    |                             1016 |

4.  The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing the Establishment of AgriClinics and Agri-Business programme under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE) of umbrella scheme Krishonnati Yojana, across the country, including Odisha, to promote entrepreneurship  in  agriculture  and  create  gainful  self-employment  opportunities  to  unemployed candidates  with  desirable  educational  qualifications  and  supplement  efforts  of  public  extension, since 2002.

The  programme  is  open  to  different  categories  of  candidates  of  age  group  of  21  to  60  years. Graduates  in  agriculture  and  allied  subjects,  life  sciences  (Botany,  Zoology  and  Chemistry), Environmental Science and Diploma holders (3-year diploma after Higher Secondary) in agriculture and allied subjects are eligible for training under the programme. The selected candidates get 45 days free residential training from various Nodal Training Institutes (NTIs) across the country, under the supervision of National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad.

The  scheme  covers  full  financial  support  for  training  and  handholding,  facilitation  for  loan  for establishment of agriventures and credit linked back ended composite subsidy. Subsidy is at 36% for General Category and 44% for Women/SC/ ST/ PwD/ NEH candidates on the Total Financial Outlay (TFO) of the project subject to the ceiling on TFO of Rs.20 lakhs for individual projects and Rs.100 lakhs for group projects established by a group of five trained persons, disbursed through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Mumbai. Established agriventures are providing employment opportunities for self as well as additional people depending on the nature and volume of business.

In the State of Odisha, so far 643 candidates have been trained which includes 3 candidates from Bolangir district. A total of 116 candidates has established their agriventures including 1 candidate from Bolangir district.

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