Empowering Odisha’s Innovation Ecosystem: MSME-DFO Cuttack hosts ‘IP Yatra’

CUTTACK, ODISHA – December 12, 2025 –
To foster innovation and protect the intellectual assets of local enterprises, the MSME Development and Facilitation Office (DFO), Cuttack, under the Ministry of MSME, Government of India, organized a two-day "IP Yatra". Held from December 11–12, 2025, at Hotel Pramod Resort, Cuttack, the event was conducted under the flagship MSME Innovative Scheme in association with CSIR–IMMT, Bhubaneswar.
The event began on December 11 with an inaugural session featuring prominent dignitaries. Smt. Nitisha Mann, Deputy Director, MSME-DFO, Cuttack, delivered the welcome address.
The Keynote Address was delivered by Shri Vinamra Mishra, Director, Ministry of MSME, Government of India. In his address, he highlighted the Ministry’s vision, mission, and objectives regarding the advancement of IPR potential and the protection of MSME interests.
Other notable speakers included:
Shri P. K. Gupta, Joint Director & HoO, MSME-DFO, Cuttack.
Dr. L. D. Besra, Senior Scientist, CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar.
Dr. S. K. Kar, CGU, CV Raman College.
Technical Sessions and Success Stories:
Day 1 of the IP Yatra witnessed the participation of approximately 165 attendees from Various parts of Odisha.
The technical agenda included expert-led thematic sessions:
IPRs – Importance & Impact: Presented by Dr. T. Pavan Kumar.
AI Patent Search and Drafting: Presented by Shri Aurobinda Panda, Founder, Lex Protector LLC.
Trademark, Copyrights, Design & Importance for MSMEs: Presented by Dr. S. K. Kar, Advisor, CGU Bhubaneswar.
Technology Transfer for MSMEs: Presented by Dr. Hareram Sahoo, Assistant Manager & Project Officer, NRDC.
The program also provided an interactive platform for networking with IP experts and government institutions.
The first day concluded with a Q&A session and the sharing of entrepreneurial success stories by Shri Sambit Sahoo, Founder, Shubhalaxmi Future Solutions Pvt. Ltd.