Women to represent 52% entrepreneurs at GES in Hyderabad: Kant

Team Udayavani, Nov 19, 2017, 11:23 AM IST

New Delhi:  Women will represent 52.5 per cent of entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem supporters at this month’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) that will be attended by US President’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump, top global CEOs and academicians, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh kant said today.

The GES in Hyderabad, to be attended by 1,500 participants from 150 countries, will be co-hosted by India and the US with the theme of “Women First, Prosperity for All” and on supporting women entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth globally.

“This is the first time that women have been the majority of participants at a GES. Women from 127 countries are participating. 10+ countries will be represented by an all- female delegation, including Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Israel,” Kant said at a press conference.

Kant further said around 31.5 per cent of entrepreneurs at GES are below 30 years of age. “The youngest entrepreneur is 13 and the oldest is 84,” he said. Prominent speakers from more than 35 countries will share their insights and outlook for the future of technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, Kant said, adding that global business honchos like Cisco’s John Chambers, Fairfax’s Prem Watsa, banker Marcus Wallenberg will be sharing their perspective on varied topics”.

Among the speakers from India, who will be addressing the GES, include Ritech Agarwal of OYO Rooms, ad maker Piyush Pandey, ace tennis player Sania Mirza, renowned chef Vikas Khanna and Sonam Wangchuk, who was inspiration for the character Phunsukh Wangdu in Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiot.

According to the Niti Aayog CEO, more than 500 Indian entrepreneurs applied for participating in the pitching competition and the government think-tank has shortlisted 35 candidates, who will have opportunity to present their ideas to the world’s top investors.

Kant said, approximately, one-third of the selected entrepreneurs are from the United States, and the one-third from India, and the rest are from other countries. The 8th edition of the Global GES will be held in Hyderabad (November 28-30).

This is first time the summit is being held in South Asia. Since 2010, the GES has travelled to Washington DC, Istanbul, Dubai, Marrakesch, Nairobi, Kuala Lumpur, Sillicon Valley. The summit will focus on four areas like energy and infrastructure, digital economy and financial technology, health and life sciences and media and entertainment.