In alignment with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business, the Department of Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha, is implementing the 'Green Shakti Producer Company Business Enterprise Leadership Cohort'- aimed at empowering women through leadership in forest-based enterprises, as well as creating sustainable enterprises for economic and environmental well-being.
The initiative intends to empower 30 women's collectives on forest-based enterprises over the course of six districts: Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Koraput, and Malkangiri. The target is to initiate a network of 300 women leaders, each company attempting to connect with over 1,000 primary producers, thereby positively impacting 30,000-plus women by August 2025 with the establishment of 30 forest producer companies.
In a three-day planning and orientation workshop at Mission Sakti Bhawan, Bhubaneswar, over 170 board members participated in strategizing for building a responsible forest economy. The training focused mainly on financial literacy, leadership, business management, and sustainable use of resources.
Sessions focused on ensuring equitable distribution of benefits, integration of shareholders, and democratic decision-making within forest producer companies. The training on institutional finance and industry compliance tamed the board members for managing and scaling their enterprises. Shalini Pandit, IAS, Commissioner-Cum-Secretary of the Department of Mission Shakti stated: "These planning sessions are designed to equip women leaders with the strategic business skills needed for collective growth and societal progress in these regions."
During the workshop, a major emphasis was placed on understanding strategies for large-scale aggregation and collective sales for seasonal collection of Sal seeds. Given the increasing demand for Sal seeds nationally and internationally due to its oil and fat content, the initiative would bring higher returns for primary collectors in the long term and ensure sustainability.
Monica Priyadarshini, IAS, Director-cum-CEO of the Department of Mission Shakti, said, "This initiative brings together motivated women entrepreneurs who are eager to learn. With the right resources, these women could become successful leaders of forest enterprises and reach financial milestones."
Professor Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at ISB, said, "There is a vast economic potential that India’s forests hold; and in the coming months, we expect to witness a tremendous growth in Odisha’s forest economy that will benefit people, profit, and the planet."
In support of the initiative, each producer company will be provided with some working capital by the Odisha Government. This funding will assist in streamlining operations and fast-track enterprise growth.
