Workshop on fostering innovation

Dhenkanal: The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal and Startup Odisha, jointly organised a workshop on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Startups at IIMC Spandan Hall on Thursday. The workshop aimed at empowering students with entrepreneurial skills and encouraging innovative thinking.

Addressing the students, IIMC Regional Director Prof Anand Pradhan highlighted the transformative shifts in the media industry due to digital disruption. “This workshop will open up new possibilities in entrepreneurial journalism for our students,” he said, emphasising the importance of adapting to the evolving landscape of media through innovation. The workshop will promote the culture of entrepreneurial journalism, Pradhan said.

The workshop focused on fostering innovation and idea generation.The students organised themselves into eight groups to pitch their business ideas and concepts to a panel of judges. The interactive format provided students with practical experience in presenting their ideas, encouraging them to think creatively.

Incubation Expert Consultant for Startup Odisha Jhansi Lakshmi emphasised the importance of Odisha’s abundant natural resources and encouraged students to leverage these assets for entrepreneurial ventures. She also stressed the significance of teamwork and problem-solving in a Startup environment. Experts Sony Samal and Siddhant Satpathy made a presentation on fostering entrepreneurial ideas and strategies. She then engaged students in an interactive session, assigning them a task to pitch their own business ideas. This hands-on activity allowed students to apply the concepts discussed and develop a practical understanding of Startup dynamics.

Students from Dhenkanal Autonomous College and Women’s College also participated in the event. Assistant Professor Chirasrota Jena and Academic Associate Sanat Padhi gave a brief outline of the events.