Calling on India to close the gender gap in the job market, Ivanka Trump opened this year's Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad.
Trump said Tuesday, "Women still face steep obstacles to starting, owning and growing their businesses. We must ensure women entrepreneurs have access to capital, access to networks and mentors."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Trump, an informal adviser to her father U.S. president Donald Trump, in opening the conference, whose theme this year is "Women First, Prosperity for All".
The gathering, co-hosted by the U.S. and India, comes as the two countries appear to be working to strengthen ties.
In a first for the event, women will represent 52 percent of the attendees. Ten countries, including Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, are sending all female delegations.
Trump, who is leading the U.S. delegation to the conference, said, "Here in India I want to applaud Prime Minister Modi for his firm belief that progress of humanity is incomplete without the empowerment of women."
Participants at this year’s summit will represent four industry sectors: energy and infrastructure, health care and life sciences, financial technology and digital economy, and media and entertainment.
In advance of the summit, the Indian state of Telangana, where Hyderabad is located, has been working to clean up the city, and there have been reports of beggars being relocated.
