Chhattisgarh marked the beginning of a transformative era in education, innovation, and skill development under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai. In a special ceremony held at Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium in the capital city, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government of Chhattisgarh, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur, and Motilal Oswal Foundation. Chief Minister Sai was present as a witness to this significant agreement.
As per the MoU, the construction of a state-of-the-art Entrepreneurship Centre is set to commence in 2025-26, with a target of full operationalisation by 2027-28.
“Revolution in education, skills, and innovation will reach every village”
Speaking on the occasion, CM Vishnu Deo Sai said the MoU will play a vital role in realising the goals of Chhattisgarh Anjor Vision. He added that this partnership will trigger a revolution in education, skill training, and innovation across villages, empowering youth to progress and excel.
Highlighting the inclusive nature of the initiative, CM Sai stated that the upcoming Shrimati Mithilesh Agrawal Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Entrepreneurship will not be confined to students of IIM or NIT alone but will benefit youth from all corners of the state through research, experimentation, and entrepreneurship.
He further urged the industry to actively participate in this movement for education and skill development.
“Chhattisgarh will lead an innovation-based, not resource-based, economy”
CM Sai emphasized that Chhattisgarh is rapidly moving beyond its traditional core sectors to venture into advanced domains like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, defence, aerospace, and green hydrogen. He pointed out that more than 350 reforms have been introduced in the past 20 months, fostering a highly conducive investment climate in the state. As a result, in just eight months, Chhattisgarh has received investment proposals worth over ₹6.75 lakh crore.
He called upon the people of the state to resolve that Chhattisgarh will emerge as a leader of an innovation-driven economy—where youth become agents of transformation and entrepreneurship guides the societal direction.
Country’s largest training centre for farmers to be set up in Raipur
Mr. Ramdeo Agrawal, Co-Founder and Chairman of Motilal Oswal Foundation, announced the establishment of India’s largest farmer training centre in Raipur. Calling Chhattisgarh a state rich in potential, he affirmed the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to the state’s development journey.
He also shared that the Foundation has decided to allocate 10 percent of its total funds towards social welfare, specifically in the areas of education, skills, and agriculture.
₹172 crore contribution from Motilal Oswal Foundation
The Motilal Oswal Foundation announced a total donation of ₹172 crore to IIM Raipur and NIT Raipur—₹101 crore for IIM Raipur and ₹71 crore for NIT Raipur.
This funding will support the construction of a 202-room Oswal Hostel and the Dau Ram Gopal Agrawal Knowledge Centre at IIM Raipur. Furthermore, six international MBA programmes will be launched in collaboration with top institutions in the US, UK, France, and Germany.
At NIT Raipur, the Shrimati Mithilesh Agrawal Centre of Excellence will be established to focus on deep-tech domains such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, and Clean Energy.
The centre aims to train over 10,000 youth by 2030, incubate more than 250 startups, and generate over 5,000 skilled jobs. This initiative is strategically aligned with Chhattisgarh’s industrial needs—particularly in mining, steel, and manufacturing—and will focus on solving real-world challenges in collaboration with local industries.
Among the dignitaries present at the event were Principal Secretary Ms. Niharika Barik, Secretary of Higher Education & Skill Development Department Mr. S. Bharathidasan, CEO of Chhattisgarh State Skill Development Authority Mr. Vijay Dayaram K, NIT Raipur Chairman Dr. Suresh Haware, IIM Raipur Chairman Mr. Puneet Dalmia, NIT Director Dr. N.V. Prasanna Rao, IIM Raipur Director Dr. Sanjeev Parashar, along with administrative officials, academicians, and a large number of students.
