By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, April 29, 2016 : Odisha government on Friday appointed Subroto Bagchi, the co-founder of leading IT services company Mindtree, as the head of the proposed Odisha Skill Development Authority [OSDA].

Bagchi has accepted the state government’s offer according to chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

The 59-year-old IT entrepreneur will assume office on May 1 coinciding with World Labour Day and draw an annual salary (honorarium) of Re 1 for his services to the state.

“The state government attaches the highest priority to the skill development of the youth in Odisha. In an effort to bring convergence amongst the skill development programme implemented by various departments and to scale up the activities both in qualitative and quantitative terms, it is felt that there is an urgent need to have a unified authority. In this context, we are starting the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) to guide, implement, coordinate and oversee all skill development programmes in the state and to ensure quality skill training is established and sustained employability of trained youths,” Patnaik told media persons in the state Assembly.

Bagchi was born in Patnagarh in Bolangir district, graduated from BJB College, here.

“We want to produce outstanding skilled workforce comparable to the best in the world. We want the world to value the skills in Odisha. It is in this context that we have invited Subroto Bagchi—a well-known IT entrepreneur—to head the proposed Odisha Skill Development Authority. I am delighted that Bagchi has accepted the state’s invitation to provide leadership to the proposed Odisha Skill Development Authority,” Patnaik added.

Bagchi will be given the rank of a cabinet minister and the state government would provide all the necessary support in this regard.

The proposed Odisha Skill Development Authority will bring convergence amongst skill development programmes across departments and create a momentum for thousands of young boys and girls of the state to receive a skill training in a truly professional manner so that they are valued in the national and international job market.

“This will benefit their families to secure better livelihood. This initiative will bring us closer to fulfilling our commitment to provide better employment opportunities to the youth and greater prosperity to Odisha”, chief minister claimed.