Indian e-com start-ups to hog limelight at global meet

New-age entrepreneurs, from Flipkart executive chairman Sachin Bansal to MobiKwik co-founder Upasana Taku, will be joining their global counterparts and investors to discuss a host of topics centred around the pursuit of business innovations at the three-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017.

While the opening day of the summit on Tuesday has a grand inaugural session, to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ivanka Trump, the next two days of the event are packed with dozens of discussions and workshops on topics relevant to enterprise building such as access to capital, leveraging technology and finding new business opportunities.

Ivanka Trump, who is heading a contingent of over 400 delegates from the US, will take part in the summit’s plenary session, which will discuss innovations in workforce development and skills, on Wednesday. She is also expected to participate in the “Networking and Global Innovations through Science and Technology” catalyst pitch competition soon after the plenary session. The catalyst pitch competition is expected to provide featured start-ups from India, the US and other countries an opportunity to elevate their business.

The panel discussions on themes including attracting private equity, future of cinema, investing in health care start-ups, mentoring and networking, business of winning at sports entrepreneurship are going to be part of the Day 2 proceedings of the summit.

Some of the speakers include Boeing president Steven Nordlund, Goldman Sachs, Japan, managing director Ankur Sahu, Dell Asia Pacific president Amit Midha and PayPal vice-president Lisa Mather.

On the third and the final day, the summit organisers have lined up discussions and short sessions on topics such as alternatives to conventional financing, investment opportunities in the emerging markets, linking global e-commerce businesses and women-owned businesses, securing the cashless society, how artificial intelligence was going to shape the future, the enterprise of “space” among other things. Panel discussions will be predominantly comprise the Indian speakers.

Serum Institute of India's Natasha Poonawalla, Kirloskar Systems chairman Gitanjali Kirloskar, KRBL Limited director Priyanka Mittal, Practo founder Shashank Navlikar Dattatreya, OLA co-founder and CEO Bhavish Agarwal are among the other young entrepreneurs who will be taking part in various panel discussions. Other prominent Indian participants include Essel group chairman Subhash Chandra, Delhi High Court Judge Pratibha Singh, former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, movie actresses Aditi Rao and Poonam Kapoor, tennis player Sania Mirza, and new miss world Manushi Chhillar.

Among the private equity and venture capital firms KKR India CEO Sanjay Nayar, Kalari Capital managing director Vani Kola, Carlyle India managing director Neeraj Bharadwaj are also taking part as speakers in various panel discussions.