Bhubaneswar: During a high-level meeting on ‘Promotion of Women-Led Enterprises through CSR Initiatives’ today, Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida announced ‘Subhadra Shakti’ will be the brand of SHG products in the State.

Pravati Parida reiterated the government’s commitment to enabling women’s economic empowerment through collective action, convergence, and institutional collaboration. Appreciating the growing interest of the CSR and banking ecosystem in Mission Shakti’s transformative journey, Parida called for deeper and long-term engagement to scale the impact. She also emphasised on the mental health and wellness of the working women. 

In her welcome address, Additional Secretary Sumitra Pattnaik provided a comprehensive overview of the department’s mandate, flagship programmes, and integrated approach to women’s economic empowerment.

Monica Priyadarshini, OLM’s State Mission Director and Mission Shakti’s Director, also provided a presentation. She highlighted the progress of the Lakhpati Didi initiative and laid out a forward-looking roadmap for promoting women-led enterprises through targeted CSR engagement. 

Priyadarshini emphasised key areas where corporate partnerships could create meaningful impact, including enterprise infrastructure, market development, micro-enterprises, production units, and cluster-based development projects, positioning them as high-potential avenues for sustainable, women-driven growth.

The meeting also witnessed active participation from the CSR teams of, Essel Mining and Industries Ltd of Aditya Birla Group, Aditya Aluminium, East JSW Foundation, Tata Steel Ltd, NALCO and others. 

Representatives from leading national and regional banks also engaged in discussions on credit access and financial services for women-led enterprises. These prominent bank stakeholders were: State Bank of India, UCO Bank, Odisha Gramya Bank, Punjab National Bank, HDFC Bank, Central Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, ICICI Bank, Union Bank of India, Canara Bank, India Overseas Bank, Federal Bank, Canara Bank.

The participants acknowledged the need for a joint coordinated mechanism to identify potential collaboration areas and design district-specific action plans. Key areas identified included ‘One District One Product’-linked value chains, rural enterprise infrastructure, financial inclusion, and enterprise mentorship.

The event also featured an open house discussion which focused on aligning CSR strategies with government’s vision, integrating women SHGs into supply chains, promoting district-level enterprise clusters and facilitating technical and market linkages.