PM Modi to inaugurate Global Entrepreneurship Summit today

Hyderabad : Stage is set for the conduct of Global Entrepreneurship Summit, the first in South Asia, in Hyderabad from November 28-30.

Co-hosted by the Governments of the United States and India, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will inaugurate the summit and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump will lead the U.S. contingent to GES.

This is the eighth edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, the preeminent gathering of entrepreneurs, investors, and supporters from around the world. With the theme of “Women First, Prosperity for All,” this will be the first GES in which women are the majority, over 52.5 per cent, of the participants.

More than 10 countries will be represented by an all-female delegation, including from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. A number of leading female voices will speak at various plenaries, breakout sessions, master classes, and workshops, including tennis champion Sania Mirza, Google’s Vice President of Next Billion Users Diana Louise Patricia Layfield, and CEO of Afghan Citadel Software Company Roya Mahboob. This year’s summit theme demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. and Indian governments to the principle that when women are economically empowered, their communities and countries thrive. Women entrepreneurs help drive innovation and job creation, as well as address the world’s greatest and most critical challenges.

The inaugural plenary of the high-powered, three-day summit will take place on Tuesday at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre followed by two days of networking, mentoring, and workshops, anchoring the collaborative environment for entrepreneurs to exchange ideas, create networks, and take their passions to the next level.

The inaugural session will begin on Tuesday at 4.30 pm on the theme "Be the Change: Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership". Besides PM Modi and Ivanka Trump, the session will be addressed by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. It will be followed by a panel session on opening up opportunities for women entrepreneurs in their countries and communities. It will be moderated by John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus, Cisco. The panelists will be Ivanka Trump, Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, SRS Aviation and SRS Petroleum Managing Director Sibongile Sambo and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) Chairman Marcus Wallenberg.

On November 29, there will be a discussion on increasing women’s participation in the workforce through access to skills training, education, and mentorship. Innovators in workforce development and training will discuss what works and what more can be done to open doors for women in the workplace. This session will be moderated by IT Minister K. Tarakarama Rao. On November 30, there will be a session on "When Women Win, We All Win: Promoting Inclusive Environments for Women Entrepreneurs".

The closing session of GES will bring together key influencers that support, promote, and fund women entrepreneurs. Panelists will share efforts to advance women in leadership positions and ensure that women have “seats at the table” while breaking down the barriers that disproportionately affect women’s ability to start and grow businesses. This session will be moderated by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu.

These plenary participants will join dozens of other session speakers and experts and an outstanding group of 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors, and supporters of entrepreneurship from more than 150 countries and territories across the world.

The Summit has introduced a mobile application to enable seamless networking among all the registered delegates. A wearable device interlinked with the application is also being provided to all delegates for use during and after the summit. So far, 1500 delegates have downloaded the app, 20,000 profiles have been viewed, 4,000 messages and 6,000 business cards have been exchanged and 500 meetings have already been set up.

In addition to entrepreneurs traveling from across the globe to share their incredible stories and innovative projects, Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman will also participate in GES.