"I was a small-town boy with big dreams. I never thought I'd build something the world would notice."
Ritesh Agarwal
Founder & CEO, OYO Rooms · Born in Bissam Cuttack, Rayagada, Odisha
People of Odisha
Bhubaneswar, Odisha
"I was rejected by 47 investors. The 48th changed everything. But honestly, those 47 rejections were the best education I ever got."
Raghurajpur, Puri
"People ask me why I still paint by hand when there are machines. I tell them — the machine cannot feel the weight of the story."
Koraput, Odisha
"My father ploughed this land with his hands. I plough it with data. Same love. Different tools."
Rourkela, Odisha
"My professor said my idea was too simple to matter. Five hundred villages later, I think simplicity was the whole point."
Sambalpur, Odisha
"My son wants me to teach him. I keep saying not yet. I want him to want it more than I do."
A 12-part series on the entrepreneurs quietly building Odisha's future from garages, farms, and small-town offices.
We are planning our first gathering of the people of Odisha — storytellers, makers, builders, and dreamers. Events are coming soon.
