Ivanka to speak at three sessions of GES

Hyderabad, Nov 27 (IANS) US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump will speak at three sessions at the eighth Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), beginning here on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the summit on Tuesday evening at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC).

Ivanka Trump, who is leading the US delegation, will also make remarks at the opening session themed 'Be the change: women's entrepreneurial leadership'.

Following the inaugural, Ivanka, herself a successful entrepreneur, is scheduled to speak at the panel session on opening up opportunities for women entrepreneurs in their countries and communities.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also among panellists at the session to be moderated by John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus, Cisco.

Ivanka is also scheduled to speak at the first session the next day. The session on 'We can do it! Innovations in workforce development and skills training' will also have Cherie Blair, Founder, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director and CEO, ICICI Bank as the speakers.

Co-hosted by the Indian and US Governments, GES is being held for the first time in South Asia. The summit will focus on the theme "Women First, Prosperity for All".

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant told reporters on Monday that GES is the preeminent gathering of entrepreneurs, investors, and supporters from around the world.

The three-day event brings together 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors, and supporters of entrepreneurship from more than 150 countries and territories across the world.

Google's Vice President of Next Billion Users Diana Louise Patricia Layfield, tennis champion Sania Mirza, and CEO of Afghan Citadel Software Company Roya Mahboob are among the leading women speakers.

The US delegation will also include Mark Green, Administrator, US Agency for International Development, Ray Washburne, CEO, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Jovita Carranza, Treasurer of the United States, Neomi Rao, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and Patricia Green, Director of the Women's Bureau, Department of Labor.

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

Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu will attend the closing session on Thursday.