Swakalpa conducts 1st Business Pitch Competition "ମୁଁ ବି ହେବି ସ୍ଵାବଲମ୍ବୀ"

On 29th May 2023, the Conference Hall of the World Skill Center, Bhubaneswar came alive with an entrepreneurial spirit as Swakalpa's Business Pitch Competition, "ମୁଁ ବି ହେବି ସ୍ଵାବଲମ୍ବୀ (Mun Bi Hebi Swabalambi)," took place. The event, organized by Palladium Consulting India Pvt Ltd and supported by Learnet, aimed to provide a platform for select candidates who had successfully completed the Swakalpa (Self-employment & Entrepreneurship Skill Development) Program to showcase their business ideas and attract mentorship and financial support.

The objectives of the event were:

1. To showcase the products and services of select candidates who have received the 100-hour training with Swakalpa and obtain recognition for best business ideas.

2. To increase the visibility of the presenting candidates so as to attract mentorship and/or financial support to establish or scale up their entrepreneurial ventures.

3. To expose trained candidates to interactions in the real world and give them the experience to hold themselves confidently.

4. To position the presenting candidates of this first batch of certified trainees as brand ambassadors of Swakalpa’s future batches.

Ms Monalisa Sahoo representing her business at the event

A total of nine candidates, carefully chosen after completing a rigorous training assessment, participated in the event. The candidates had received 100 hours of training with Swakalpa, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to launch or scale their entrepreneurial ventures.

Sl. No.	Name	Business Name	Training Center
1	Ms Subhalaxmi Das	Subbu Stitching Solution	Bhubaneswar
2	Mr Bikash Sahoo	Mr Manager	Bhubaneswar
3	Ms Y Santoshi	Sri Beauty Parlour	Cuttack
4	Ms Bipasa Dasgupta	Mrs Cake Bake	Bhubaneswar
5	Ms Monalisa Sahoo	Better Half	Bhubaneswar
6	Ms Sharmistha Panda	Lelo Cakes	Bhubaneswar
7	Ms Monalisa Rout	Newell	Bhubaneswar
8	Ms Laxmipriya Nayak	Laxmi Tailoring	Bhubaneswar
9	Mr Santosh Panigrahi	Panigrahi AC Solutions	Bhubaneswar

Candidates arrived before the jury one after the other, displayed their products, introduced themselves, presented their business ideas, talked about their displayed products (such as furniture made from waste products or tailored clothes or innovative food stuff) or explained their service solutions (such as air conditioning solutions or event management), and confidently answered the barrage of questions thrown at them by the six experts of the jury-mentor panel. The questions were specific to candidates and their business ideas and evolved as per the discussion and presentation pitches. Questions revolved around the scale of the business, the financial support required, the candidate’s plan to balance self-financing with external financial support, their client base and how Swakalpa has helped them in their journey of becoming self-employed entrepreneurs so far.

Ms Laxmipriya representing her business at the event

The candidates generously spoke of how Swakalpa’s training has made them aware of different elements of doing business including preparing an investible business plan and working out their financial requirements based on their chosen scale of operations, learnt marketing skills and improving their confidence levels & interaction skills.

The event featured a distinguished jury panel comprising industry experts with extensive experience in reviewing entrepreneur applications for finance. The panel was invited to provide feedback and insights on the candidate's readiness to enter the business world. Their feedback would be crucial in selecting candidates for onward journey mentorship, and the jury members themselves would serve as mentors on the Swakalpa platform.

Esteemed Jury at the "ମୁଁ ବି ହେବି ସ୍ଵାବଲମ୍ବୀ (Mun Bi Hebi Swabalambi)" Event

The esteemed jury-mentor panel were as follows:

1. Mr R K Mishrra, Executive Director, The Idus Enterprise (TiE) Bhubaneswar

2. Mr J K Rath, Managing Director, Mechem

3. Ms Sweta Mishra, Founder, Gelhi's Bakery

4. Mr Durga Prasad Gouda, Chief Operations Officer, Atal Incubation Centre (AIC), Nalanda Institute of Technology

5. Mr Suryakanta Dash, Farm Sector Technical Officer, State Bank Of India (Bhubaneswar)

6. Ms Monalisa Behera, Branch Manager, Canara Bank (Bhubaneswar)

The Business Pitch Competition turned out to be a grand success, with every aspect of the event executed flawlessly. The candidates displayed self-confidence and clarity in presenting their business ideas, impressing both the jury panel and the audience. The jury panel, thoroughly enjoying the range of food items presented by three of the candidates, engaged in rich and comfortable interactions with the participants, asking curious questions and providing valuable feedback. The jury panel unanimously commended the high confidence level displayed by the candidates. Swakalpa can now explore mentor relationships with the panel, further supporting the candidates in their entrepreneurial journey.

Ms Monalisa Rout representing her business at the event

Key takeaways from the event:

1. Confidence building of the participating candidates

2. Increased visibility of candidates’ products/services.

3. The unique design of the event including the direct connection of the participants with established entrepreneurs and financiers from the jury, encouraged the candidates’ innovation spirit

4. The jury went away with unanimous observation on the high confidence level of the candidates thus helping Swakalpa explore mentor relationships with the panel, going forward.

5. A jury member was fully convinced of one business idea pitch to the extent that he assured to introduce an interested angel investor for Rs.5 lakh to the participant (Mr Bikash of the event management company, Mr Manager).

Mr Bikash representing his business at the event

This event marked a significant milestone for Swakalpa's contributions to the entrepreneurial landscape in Odisha. The participating candidates not only gained confidence but also emerged as potential program ambassadors for Swakalpa's future batches. With increased visibility and support from mentors and financiers, these candidates are poised to establish and scale their entrepreneurial ventures successfully.

Swakalpa's Business Pitch Competition served as a platform to nurture entrepreneurship among the youth of Odisha, providing them with real-world interactions and experiences that will empower them to hold themselves confidently in their entrepreneurial pursuits.