Keynote speakers of the event included Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur; Sambit Tripathy, Ex-IRS, CMD, Livelihood Alternatives; Dr. Anupam Gayen, Zonal Head, NSIC and Ms. Nibedita Nayak, Former Chairperson, Odisha State Social Welfare Board.

The initial group of participants in the Business Accelerator Program consisted of 25 members from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and the state of Maharashtra. The next batch of the Business Accelerator Program is set to commence in the month of February in the year 2026 and will provide the participants with a learning experience spanning 72 hours and including online learning sessions on the weekend along with an on-campus learning module of 6 days in the premises of IIM Sambalpur.

Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, who is the Director of IIM Sambalpur, said on the event that the vision for IIM Sambalpur is to develop a responsible leadership with an entrepreneurial approach. Entrepreneurship is not only about creating wealth for a person but is also a means of creating value for a country.

According to Chief Guest Sambit Tripathy, CMD of Livelihood Alternatives, developing strong business plans, honing ideas and capacity building, and understanding basic concepts of what they produce and consume and how they communicate are very important to excel as entrepreneurs.

Ms. Nibedita Nayak, former Chairperson of the Odisha State Social Welfare Board, also spoke on the occasion.