ICEVB2025 – Parala Maharaja Engineering College

International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Viksit Bharat : Igniting Skill and Innovation for Sustainable Development (ICEVB-2025)

Conference Date: 17th – 18th October 2025

Organized By

ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT CELL, Parala Maharaja Engineering College, Berhampur, Odisha, India.

About Parala Maharaja Engineering College (PMEC)

Parala Maharaja Engineering College (P.M.E.C), Berhampur came into existence in the year 2009 on April 26th, as a constituent Government Engineering College of Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), Odisha, India with an area of nearly 80 acres. Now this college acts as a Government Autonomous college affiliated to BPUT, Odisha from year 2021. This college is one of the premier technical institutes in the state and is funded by the Government of Odisha. It has 8 B.Tech programmes and 5 M.Tech programmes with 10 departments.

Also, now it has a Nodal Center of Research under BPUT to conduct Ph.D. programmes. The main objective of the institution is to produce quality technocrats in various streams.

Government of Odisha has recognized this institution as a leading institution of repute and has a plan to develop it as a centre of excellence under plan funding. At present, the campus consists of institutional academic block, workshop block, labs, hostels, playgrounds, bank, canteen, central library (under const.), etc. As the architectural plan suggests, three more academic blocks, halls of residence, staff quarters, world-class auditoria, parks, and playgrounds will be developed in subsequent phases of construction. The Silk City-Berhampur is located on the eastern coastline of Odisha. It is one of the oldest cities of the state famous for its silk works, temples, and culture. The city which is declared as a municipal corporation is well-connected by roads and rails to all parts of India.

ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT CELL (EDC) - РМЕС, BERHAMPUR

The Entrepreneurship Development Cell at Parala Maharaja Engineering College, Berhampur
has been established with the prime objective of fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation among students, research scholars, and faculty members. The EDC envisions creating a culture where aspiring technocrats are not merely job seekers but become job creators, capable of
building successful enterprises that contribute to national economic growth and societal well-being. EDC-PMEC strives to nurture creative thinking, risk-taking abilities, and leadership qualities
among the youth by exposing them to various facets of entrepreneurship.

The cell regularly organizes a range of activities such as Entrepreneurship Awareness Camps, Management Development Programmes, Conferences, Business Model Competitions, Start-up Boot camps, Ideation
Workshops, and Innovation Challenges etc. These programs equip participants with skills related
to business planning, market analysis, financial management, product development, and legal
aspects of start-ups.

ABOUT BERHAMPUR CITY

Berhampur, known as the “Silk City of Odisha,” is a culturally vibrant city in southern Odisha,
near the Bay of Bengal. Famous for its traditional Berhampur Silk Sarees, the city is a major hub
for handloom, commerce, education, and tourism. Strategically located on NH-16 and well-connected by rail, it offers easy access to cities like Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam. Key educational institutions include Berhampur University, IISER, and MKCG Medical College. With nearby
attractions like Gopalpur-on-Sea, Chilika Lake, and Tara Tarini Temple, Berhampur blends tradition, modernity, and natural beauty, making it an emerging center for education, entrepreneurship,
and development.

About the Conference

India, with a GDP of US$ 3.7 trillion (2024) and projected to become the third-largest economy globally by 2030, is on a transformational path to realize the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 – India that is economically developed, socially inclusive, and globally compеtitive by the 100th year of its independence. To achieve this, fostering an environment that promotes entrepreneurship, skill development, and innovation is paramount.

As per the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Annual Report 2023-24, India is home to over 63 million MSMEs, which contribute nearly 30% to India’s GDP, 40% to exports, and employ more than 110 million people. However, challenges such as skill mismatches, limited access to technology, and financial constraints hindering the full realization of their potential. At the same time, India’s Start-up ecosystem, ranked as the 3rd largest in the world, boasts of over 115,000 DPIIT-recognized startups as of 2024, spread across 650 districts. These startups span sectors like FinTech, EdTech, HealthTech, AgriTech, and CleanTech, supported by government schemes like Startup India, Stand-Up India, and Digital India. Yet, more inclusive participation from rural, tribal, and women entrepreneurs remain a developmental priority. On the skill front, as per the India Skills Report 2024, only 49% of the Indian youth are deemed employable by industry standards. The government’s Skill India Mission and the establishment of over 15,000 ITIs and 3,000+ Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras aim to bridge this gap. However, connecting this skilling ecosystem with entrepreneurial ventures is critical to ensure sustainable employment generation.

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, and Cloud Computing is reshaping the entrepreneurial landscape. Furthermore, India is also rich in indigenous entrepreneurial practices, with approximately 104 million tribal population (8.6% of the total population) possessing unique knowledge systems. Yet these remain under-leveraged in the formal economy due to lack of market access, technology, and capacity building.