Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Urges CA Community to Support Grassroots Enterprises at ICAI Conference

Sambalpur, May 24 – Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan called upon the Chartered Accountant (CA) community to actively support Agricultural Producer Organizations (APOs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), street vendors, and the empowering initiative of “Lakhpati Didis” during the inaugural session of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) Sub-Regional Conference ‘Saksham-2025’ held at IIM Sambalpur on Saturday.

Addressing the audience under the theme “Saksham – Empowering Professionals, Enabling Progress,” Pradhan highlighted the critical role Chartered Accountants play in strengthening India’s economy. He noted that their expertise has helped India rise to become the world’s fifth-largest economy, with the potential to soon become the third-largest.

“The CA community is playing a significant role in India’s economic journey,” he said, emphasizing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to recognize the country’s wealth creators, including CAs who have acted as catalysts in this progress.

Pradhan also spoke about Odisha’s ambitious target to establish 100 successful startups, known as “100 cubes,” by 2036—each valued at Rs. 100 crore. He underscored the need to build a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, focusing on the journey “from idea to innovation, innovation to technology, and technology to scaling up.”

Highlighting India’s startup ecosystem, Pradhan revealed that over 2.5 lakh startups with a combined valuation of approximately Rs. 40 lakh crore are currently providing employment to more than 7 lakh people. He stressed the importance of creating new opportunities and platforms to empower youth while supporting traditional businesses and fostering new ventures.

Identifying Sambalpur as a potential startup hub, Pradhan pointed to promising sectors such as textiles, garments, agri-products, and digital services. He proposed transforming IIM Sambalpur into a green campus over the next five years, urging stakeholders to undertake initiatives like tree plantation and environmental conservation.

“We need to make Sambalpur a sustainable, green, and clean city, and this transformation can begin with small, consistent efforts,” Pradhan concluded, urging the community to take timely action towards sustainability.

The conference brought together professionals and stakeholders to deliberate on empowering the CA community and enhancing their contribution to India’s development and economic progress.