A new collaborative initiative aims to establish 30 women-led forest producer companies across Odisha, providing leadership training and financial support to uplift rural women and foster a sustainable forest economy

To empower women and promote a sustainable forest economy, the Department of Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha, has joined forces with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business (ISB), to roll out the ‘Green Shakti Producer Company Business Enterprise Leadership Cohort’. This initiative seeks to establish 30 women-led, forest-based enterprises across six districts of Odisha: Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Koraput, and Malkangiri.

The project, which aims to create a network of 300 women leaders, will continue to expand until August 2025 through structured programme sprints. The initiative focuses on empowering these women with the tools needed for business success, including financial literacy, leadership development, and sustainable resource management. The training will also cover key aspects of business management, ensuring that participants can build resilient, thriving enterprises.

A recent three-day workshop at the Mission Shakti Bhawan in Bhubaneswar brought together over 170 board members to strategize on developing a responsible and equitable forest economy. The workshop used an innovative pedagogical approach to address the challenges faced by rural women in Odisha, focusing on equitable benefit distribution and inclusive shareholder strategies.

The session also emphasized transparency, accountability, and democratic decision-making within forest producer companies. Participants were trained on industry compliance, institutional finance, and best practices for large-scale sales of seasonal forest products, such as Sal seeds. This collaboration aims to onboard over 1,000 primary producers in each company, benefiting more than 30,000 women across the targeted regions.

Shalini Pandit, IAS, Commissioner-Cum-Secretary, Department of Mission Shakti, highlighted the program’s potential to change lives, stating, “The sessions aim to empower women leaders with strategic business skills, creating a foundation for collective development and progress.”

Monica Priyadarshini, IAS, Director-cum-CEO of the Department of Mission Shakti, also underscored the initiative’s impact, emphasising the importance of Sal seeds in the domestic and international market for their high value and demand. The aim is for each woman leader to elevate her enterprise to become a high-income business entity.

Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB, praised the forest economy’s vast potential, predicting significant growth in Odisha’s forest-based businesses over the coming months.

To further support these women-led enterprises, the Government of Odisha will provide initial working capital for each producer company, ensuring a strong start to their operations and fostering long-term sustainability. The Green Shakti initiative marks a transformative step towards creating an empowered, economically independent community of women entrepreneurs in Odisha.