GES 2017: Ivanka Trump, Sitharaman to discuss opportunities for women entrepreneurship

The city is all set to host the eighth edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), which will be inaugurated by Prime Minster Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Nirmala Sitharaman and Suresh Prabhu will be attending the summit, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Monday told reporters at a joint press conference with US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster.

After the inauguration, US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump and Indian Defence Minister Sitharaman will be participating in a panel discussion on opening up of opportunities for women entrepreneurs, Kant said.

The discussion will be moderated by John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus CISCO, he said.

Ivanka will lead a delegation from the US at the three- day event.

The closing session of the GES will bring together key influencers who support, promote and fund women entrepreneurs, Kant said.

The closing session will be moderated by Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, he said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will also participate in the GES, he said.

More than 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Israel, will be represented by their all-women delegation at the summit, Kant said.

With the theme of 'Women First, Prosperity for All', this will be the first GES in which women are expected to be majority (52.5 per cent) of the participants, he said.

The theme of this year's summit demonstrates the commitment of the US and the Indian governments to the principle that when women are economically empowered, their communities and countries thrive, he said.

"Women entrepreneurs help drive innovation and job creation as well as address the world's greatest and most critical challenges," Kant said.

Replying to a query, Juster lauded Modi for the recent World Bank's ranking of India on the ease of doing business index.

"The important point is that the economic reform process will obviously increase US investments (in India)," he said.

He however said the investment decisions are made by the private sector and are driven by market forces.

On the GES, Juster said both India and the US focus on innovation and events like this will boost the process further in this regard.

Refusing to speak on the recent H1B visa issue in the US, Juster said his country is doing a comprehensive review of the visa policy, which is yet to be announced.

He however said the visa policy is not specific to any country and is aimed at attracting talent and innovation to the US.

The three-day GES will be held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre.

Also Read: Ivanka Trump to attend Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India on Tuesday