GES 2017 calls for more action to help women entrepreneurs

Hyderabad: The eighth Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) concluded here Thursday with the speakers at the closing plenary calling for more action to help women entrepreneurs and later, NITI Aayog and Telangana government announcing series of initiatives.

The speakers stressed the need to ensure that women entrepreneurs have access to funding and get mentorship and all support not just from the government but also from men.

The session was themed 'When women win, we all win' with NITI Ayog CEO Amitabh Kant serving as the moderator.

The speakers included USAID Administrator Mark Green, Welspun India CEO Dipali Goenka, iEurope Capital LLC Co-Founder and Managing Director Kristina Davison, Petrolink Founder and CEO Lerato Motsami and TeamLease Chairman Manish Sabharwal.

The speakers also called for bridging the digital divide and providing women entrepreneurs access to Information Technology and Internet.

For the second consecutive day, several parallel sessions were held to discuss various issues relating to women entrepreneurs.

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The three-event with the theme 'women first priority for all' was co-hosted by the US and India.

It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump led the US delegation.

About 1,500 delegates including entrepreneurs, investors and eco-system supporters from 150 nations had two-days of networking, mentoring and investment matchmaking.

Amitabh Kant described as a very successful and an outstanding event. He said it was the 8th GES and the first to be held in South Asia.

The women participation was 53 per cent, the highest in GES. The women from 127 countries participated and 10 countries had all-women delegations.

He said Ivanka Trump brought formidable delegation of 35 business leaders and state officials with her while Modi attended the event with cabinet colleagues Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitaraman.

He said 2,200 participants including guests attended the event. It also saw participants sharing 70,000 contacts including over 40,000 through GOQii band. He described this as "phenomenal" and "mind-boggling".

Amitabh Kant said the event witnessed amazing energy and vibrancy by women entrepreneurs. It discussed various issues and the common feeling was that women entrepreneurs make better entrepreneurs.

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He thanked the Telangana government for making all the arrangements for successful conduct of GES, which had 53 sessions and 200 speakers.

Telangana Information Technology, Industry and Commerce Minister K.T. Rama Rao said the delegates were of the opinion that logistically, in terms of content, quality of speakers, networking opportunities and in terms of venture capital deal flow, it was the most successful GES.

Immediately after the event concluded, both NITI Ayog and Telangana government announced series of initiatives to help women entrepreneurs.

Amitabh Kant declared that a women's cell will be set up in NITI Ayog for handholding. He also assured all support to women entrepreneurs in terms of funding and mentorship.

The Telangana government announced setting up WE-Hub, an incubator exclusively for women entrepreneurs. It also announced Rs 15 crore fund to help them.

--IANS