Bhubaneswar, 26/02/2016: National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), the Navratna CPSE headquartered at Bhubaneswar has instituted a State-level Award for the outstanding Start-ups in the IT and IT Enabled Services (ITES). The award shall carry a purse of Rs.1 lakh and a citation, which will be handed over to the awardee during NALCO’s Foundation Day celebration. Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, CMD, NALCO made this announcement while addressing the second edition of Advantage Odisha, the Business-Technology-Leadership Conference, organized by The Telegraph and INFOCOM. The conference was inaugurated by Shri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, here today.

Bhubaneswar is fast emerging as a major IT hub of the country. During last few years, the city has attracted some of the largest IT companies in India. It is one of the choicest destinations to IT majors like TCS, Infosys, Wipro and Tech Mahindra. Odisha has also developed IT specific SEZs to cater to the demand of the IT sector.

“Odisha has emerged as a leading state in the ongoing change process. World Bank Report has identified Odisha as an ‘Aspiring Leader’ in terms of ‘Ease-of-doing- Business’ in India. In this context, there is a great need to further this growth trajectory through concerted efforts from all sectors. In this regard, the role of IT & ITES Sector is very significant,” Dr. Chand said. “Moreover, the entire Odisha is home to more than 450 engineering and management colleges, including diploma & ITI institutes, to source skilled manpower. At the same time, Bhubaneswar has topped the ‘Smart City’ list. This has become an added advantage. In terms of infrastructure also, Odisha is well poised as compared to the national scenario. While the road density in the State is more than the national average, in terms of rail density, it is at par with the national standards. Further, in the Railway Budget 2016, the centre has enhanced the budget allocation to Odisha by 30% than the previous fiscal, which would definitely prove instrumental in the future growth plans of the State, creating a favourable climate for industrialization and entrepreneurship. Apart from being a pollution-free city, Bhubaneswar has also attracted investors and encouraged upcoming entrepreneurs for its sound law and order situation,” Dr. Chand added.

Among others, Shri Pranab Prakash Das, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Electronics & IT, Govt. of Odisha, Shri P.K. Jena, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Electronics & IT, Govt. of Odisha, Shri A.K. Jha, CMD, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. and Dr. Omkar Rai, Director General, Software Technology Parks of India were present on the occasion.