Bhubaneswar: Seven students from Odisha have departed for Tokyo, Japan, under the ‘BharatNetra’ programme, a joint initiative of the Odisha government and GFTN Singapore. The students, selected as part of the first batch during the recently held Black Swan Summit in Bhubaneswar, will undergo specialised training as part of an international exposure programme.
The selected students will participate in the 15-day MUFG Young Innovators Immersion Programme in Tokyo. The initiative is sponsored by MUFG, Japan’s largest bank. The programme will be conducted under the supervision of GFTN Singapore CEO Sopnendu Mohanty.
During their stay in Japan, the students will explore the GFTN Japan Forum and study Japan’s fintech and insurtech ecosystem. They will also visit the Indian Embassy in Tokyo to present their winning Capstone Project, Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, Health and Family Welfare, Parliamentary Affairs, and Electronics and Information Technology minister, said in a post on X.
The BharatNetra initiative aims to expand its reach significantly in the coming years. Under the programme, more than 7,000 students are expected to receive training, equipping them with skills to contribute to the vision of a developed Odisha and a developed India.
The initiative has received policy backing in the Odisha Budget 2026–27, with a separate allocation made for this sector. The programme is being implemented under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Majhi. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been credited as the driving force behind the initiative, while Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj has extended support for its implementation, Mahaling noted.
