Star list desire for Ivanka event, some US ire

NEW DELHI: Even as hectic preparations are afoot for the eighth edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) at Hyderabad from November 28 to 30, diplomatic sources suggest that all is not hunky- dory between co-organisers India and the US despite the projected bonhomie and enthusiasm on social media.

Ivanka Trump. Reuters file

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 11

Even as hectic preparations are afoot for the eighth edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) at Hyderabad from November 28 to 30, diplomatic sources suggest that all is not hunky-dory between co-organisers India and the US despite the projected bonhomie and enthusiasm on social media.

President Donald Trump’s adviser and daughter Ivanka Trump will head the United States delegation to the summit, that will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Despite a formal announcement of the summit in June during Prime Minister Modi’s US visit, the American organisers are complaining that the planning and execution took months to kick off. But more importantly, the constant seeking of US business bigwigs and globally recognised CEOs has been upsetting the American side.

Sources said on almost every occasion that a top NITI Aayog functionary met Acting US Ambassador MaryKay Loss Carlson, the enquiries greatly focussed on the star guest list.

Sources added that the Indian government hopes that like the 2016 edition, which had Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg in conversation with President Barack Obama, and Brian Chesky of Airbnb to Sundar Pichai of Google preaching entrepreneurship, the Indian edition will also be a glittering event.

The American organisers are reminding the Indian side that the seventh edition was held at Stanford University in Silicon Valley, the world’s largest entrepreneurial ecosystem.

An American diplomat remarked with much irritation, “Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Zuckerberg are not going to stand shoulder to shoulder and promote Startup India in Hyderabad. The Indian side needs to look at the other editions which were highly successful because of well-meaning global investors and not just starry names. We are sure the Hyderabad GES will be successful too by those measures.”

After its inaugural US edition, GES was held in Turkey, UAE, Malaysia, Morocco and Kenya, before travelling back to Silicon Valley.

The Hyderabad GES will be the first edition to be held in South Asia. It will highlight the theme ‘Women First, Prosperity for All’, and will focus on supporting women entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth globally.

It will also promote India’s enabling environment for innovation and entrepreneurship. Hyderabad is home to T-Hub, India’s largest startup incubator.