K.T.RAMA RAO: Good morning.
So welcome you back.
Welcome to the City of Pearls.
Welcome to the Land of Biryani.
Welcome to Telangana.
I hope you're having a great stay.
We had a great inaugural yesterday.
Ms. Ivanka Trump, Cherie Blair, Karen Quintos, Chanda Kochhar--
I don't think there could be a more [INAUDIBLE] of a panel
to begin a day with.
So I am looking forward to this as much as you all are.
But before we get there, let me just quickly talk
about the state I represent.
I come from Telangana.
My name is K.T. Rama Rao.
I am the Minister for Industries, Commerce,
Information Technology, Urban Development.
I've had the privilege of serving
as a minister for the last 3 and 1/2 years
for the youngest state in India.
That is Telangana with Hyderabad as the capitol.
Now, in the last 3 and 1/2 years,
we've tried to do some things which are truly unique,
which are truly heartbreaking when it comes to innovation,
workforce, skilling, et cetera, which is the theme that we
are going to talk about today.
On the innovation front, as it was mentioned by Ms. Trump
yesterday, today we have India's largest technology incubator
in Hyderabad called the T-Hub, which has
been doing exceedingly well.
And come this time next year, by this time next year,
we will be having the world's largest technology incubator
slash startup engine in our own city of Hyderabad right here.
In fact, innovation has been a huge driver
in the growth story of Telangana in the last 3 and 1/2 years.
Our honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,
for the first time in Indian history,
for the first time in the history of this country,
talks about start up India.
He realizes the importance of innovation.
He realizes the importance of skills.
He talks about start up India.
He talks about skill India.
And he also talks about how to ensure
that this large demographic dividend, which
is up for the grab for India--
because more than 50% of our population
is less than the age of 27.
More than 2/3 of India today is less than the age of 35.
So that goes to tell you India has the largest think force.
I don't like to call it workforce.
India today has the largest think force on the planet.
for any country in the history of the planet.
As the world is aging, India is getting younger.
As the world today, the average age goes high and high.
India is getting younger and younger.
But that throws up a very interesting challenge all
the way from Hyderabad and Telangana on our government
and right up to the United States and Trump
Administration.
The one big challenge every government
faces today is employment, is creation of jobs.
Now, that throws up an interesting question.
How do we ensure that this so-called demographic dividend
is completely harnessed, is leveraged by the governments?
The human capital-- how do we harness it?
How do we ensure that in this innovation and knowledge
economy, how do we keep going?
And how do we make sure, most importantly, women--
for whom another added dimension,
another compounded problem is the gender discrimination
that is rampant across the first world,
second world, third world, respect of which country
you come from.
So we want to talk about all these innovation, skills.
How do we ensure we create jobs?
How do we also ensure at the same time
we create more job creators, a platform
for job creators like T-Hub.
And how do we also ensure that for those people who
are seeking employment, how do we
make sure that they are adequately skilled?
How do we also ensure that they keep refreshing
their skills every so often?
So like I said, I have a [INAUDIBLE] of a panel.
And let me start by using the full powerful men I have--
four powerful women.
I have never done this in my life, moderation.
So I'm a little nervous as well.
So you have to, you know, bear with me for the next one hour.
Let me start with Chanda Kochhar, the MD and CEO
of India's largest private sector bank, a woman who's
won multiple awards.
I can go on and on.
But she's been consistently ranked
among the top 100 most powerful women by Forbes and Fortune
and the winner of Woodrow Wilson Award for citizen--
corporate citizenship.
Chanda, thank you.
I think you're here.
Chanda Kochhar, ladies and gentlemen.
A warm round of applause, please.
[APPLAUSE]
Next, I'd like to introduce Karen Quintos, the Chief
Customer Officer of Dell.
The highest ranked most senior position
held by a woman in Dell is currently
held by Karen Quintos.
[APPLAUSE]
Karen works very closely on the board of Dell,
the highest and most senior-most position,
an executive position with Michael Dell
and the entire team.
So welcome, Karen.
Next, we have a woman who is extremely popular,
who's done significant work, who's
been a tremendous pillar of support
to a former UK Prime Minister, Prime Minister
Blair, Cherie Blair of the Cherie Blair
Foundation for women.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome her
with a warm round of applause.
[APPLAUSE]
As I've mentioned, I am the Minister
for IT, Government of Telangana.
IT normally stands for Information Technology.
But for the last one month and more so in the last one
week, IT also in Hyderabad means Ivanka Trump.
The lady herself is here, arguably
the most powerful woman in the world.
Warm welcome to Ms. Ivanka Trump with a warm round of applause,
please.
[APPLAUSE]
I didn't know what to call her, because she
dons multiple responsibilities, multiple roles.
So I wanted to make sure we capture this moment.
We have a banker.
We have an advisor to POTUS and many, many other things also.
We have a lawyer.
And then we have a Chief Marketing and Chief Customer
Officer.
So welcome, ladies.
And then we can get started.
Thank you very much.
(Applause)