Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) and advisor to US President Ivanka Trump (R) arrives at the Global Entrepreneurship Summmit at the Hyderabad convention centre (HICC) in Hyderabad on November 28, 2017. Photo: AFP

HYDERABAD: Ivanka Trump, daughter and special adviser to US President Donald Trump, championed women empowerment while speaking at the a business summit in India.

Addressing the event participants at inaugration ceremony of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), Ivanka said: "You are saving lives, creating jobs, and bringing hope to our communities."

"The women in this room can help lead the way to closing this gap and ushering in a new age of greater prosperity," she said. 

The entrepreneur also remarked: "When women work, it creates a unique multiplier effect. Women are more likely than men to hire other women, and to give them access to capital, mentorship and networks. Women are also more likely to reinvest their income back in their families and communities. 

We must ensure women entrepreneurs have access to capital, access to networks and mentors, and access to equitable laws," she added. 

"Fueling the growth of women-led businesses isn?t simply good for our society ? it?s good for our economy. One study estimates that closing the gender entrepreneurship gap world-wide could grow our global GDP by as much as two percent."

She pointed out: "In the last decade, women have made remarkable strides in starting new businesses... Today, more than 11 million women in the United States own businesses. They employ nearly 9 million workers, and generate over $1 trillion in revenue."

On the event, The US State Department tweeted: "IvankaTrump reiterates the U.S. commitment to empowering #womenentrepreneurs with access to capital, mentorship & networks - including @SBAgov $500m+ funding to women-owned businesses & @USAID facilitation of microfinance loans & programs to bridge the digital divide #GES2017"

India had rolled out the red carpet on Tuesday for Ivanka Trump, daughter of the US president, who attended a business summit in the southern tech hub of Hyderabad, where thousands of policemen stood on guard.

As political and economic ties expand, India has become a major market for the United States, with two-way trade of about $115 billion last year. Military and strategic ties are also improving as China?s influence rises in Asia and beyond.

Billboards with pictures of Ivanka dotted many parts of the city home to major US firms such as Microsoft. Authorities took beggars off city streets in a clean-up drive before the meeting, media said.

Billboards with pictures of Ivanka dotted many parts of the city home to major US firms such as Microsoft. Photo: AP

?Global eyes are on Hyderabad today,? said Jayesh Ranjan, a government official helping to organize the event. ?We are representing India.?

Television broadcast images of the arrival of Ivanka, the leader of the US delegation, who is also an informal adviser to President Donald Trump.

Later in the day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugrated the three-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), an event conceived by former US President Barack Obama that is being jointly hosted by India and the United States.

Preparations included about 10,000 police deployed to provide security, while some schools closed because of traffic restrictions, a senior police officer told Reuters. Authorities also beefed up the numbers of closed-circuit cameras.

On standby were sniffer dogs as well as ?spotters?, or men trained to detect any suspicious activity or people, the officer said, reflecting the trappings of a visit by a state leader.

The organisers of the summit, to be attended by 1,500 entrepreneurs and investors from 150 countries, had been overwhelmed with thousands of applications, state officials said.

In an interview with the Times of India newspaper, Ivanka pitched for better ties between the two countries.

?We share common priorities, including promoting economic growth and reform, fighting terrorism and expanding security cooperation,? she said in the interview, published on Tuesday.

This year, women are the theme of the gathering, held in prior years in countries such as the United States and Turkey.

More than half the participants will be women, and all-female delegations will represent several countries, among them Afghanistan, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

?I aim for GES 2017 to be a global celebration that elevates the importance of empowering and investing in women entrepreneurs,? Ivanka said.