Hyderabad, Nov. 28 (Agencies): India has a true friend in the United States, Ivanka Trump told a star-studded gathering from 150 nations here at the opening of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, referring to President Donald Trump’s statement earlier this year.

Ivanka, who is an entrepreneur and President Trump’s advisor and daughter, said the fact that India is hosting the GES for the first time is a symbol of friendship between the people of the US and India, and the growing economic and security partnership between the two nations.

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.

Barack Obama had conceived the GES as a forum for entrepreneurs when he was the president, and the first one was held in Washington in 2010.

“What you are achieving is truly extraordinary,” Ivanka told Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in audience. “From your childhood selling tea to your election as India’s prime minister, you have proven that transformational change is possible.”

Earlier, Modi met Ivanka on the sidelines of the summit. The Press Information Bureau released a picture of the two warmly shaking hands but did not immediately give details of what transpired at the meeting.

”Thank you for the warm welcome,” she tweeted. “I'm excited to be in Hyderabad, India for #GES2017.”

Trump, who is also a fashion designer and a businesswoman, was invited by Modi during his visit to the White House in June to speak at the Summit.

She is leading the US contingent at the Summit, which has 'Women First, Prosperity for All' as its theme.

More than half the 1500-odd participants are women, and all-female delegations will represent several countries, among them Afghanistan, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Over the years, Turkey, the UAE, Malaysia, Morocco and Kenya have hosted the summit, primarily a gathering of entrepreneurs at all stages of business development.