The Udyogi Samparka Abhijana, a special "Entrepreneurship Facilitation Van," was flagged off at Jagatsinghpur on the historic Gandhi and Shastri Jayanti by Collector and DM Jagatsinghpur Parul Patawari as part of "Swakalpa," the government of Odisha's flagship entrepreneurship and skill development program. 

'Swakalpa is a self-employment and entrepreneurship development program envisioned by the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA), Government of Odisha, and managed by the World Skill Center (WSC) with Palladium serving as the implementation partner. The program aims to empower 10,000 driven young individuals in Odisha with the essential skills and knowledge required for self-employment and entrepreneurship, with the establishment of at least 1,000 micro-businesses. 

To take the mission of Swakalpa forward, the Udyogi Samparka Abhijana was launched with a branded campaign vehicle which is scheduled to journey through various districts. Commencing in Jagatsinghpur, the mobile van is set to traverse diverse districts of Odisha, including Khordha on October 3rd and 4th, Nayagarh on 5th and 6th, and Cuttack on the 7th. The van will reach candidates who have advanced to the mentee stage under Swakalpa while also engaging with other potential individuals to extend awareness about 'Swakalpa.' The event was led by Palladium and executed in collaboration with partner Learnet Skills. 

During the launch event, local candidates who successfully completed entrepreneurship training and embarked on their entrepreneurial journeys were presented with certificates. The Swakalpa team also provided crucial support to candidates requiring Udyam Aadhaar registration, a vital step in commencing a business. 

Furthermore, at the historically significant Alaka Ashram in Jagatsinghpur, an MoU was signed to harness the facilities of Alaka Ashram for capacity building of target beneficiaries under 'Swakalpa.' 

The event witnessed the presence of distinguished individuals, including Gouranga Charan Hota, president; Debendra Nath Rout, Convenor of Alaka Ashram; NRI Professor Annapurna Pandey from California University; Kartik Chandra Swain former Scientist ISRO, Swagatika Mohapatra, Manager at WSC, Soumendra Choudhury, Associate Director Palladium; Rutambhara Mishra, Business Development Consultant at Palladium; Soumyaranjan Sahoo, Branding and Communication Consultant at Palladium; Gyana Ranjan Acharya, State Head of Learnet.