My conversation with Prime Minister @narendramodi left me more optimistic than ever about the progress that India i… https://t.co/ArDS8nPoXI
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) 1677901448000
Talking about the meeting in his official blog, Gates Notes, the billionaire philanthropist said: “My conversation with PM Modi left me more optimistic than ever about the progress that India is making. The country is showing what’s possible when we invest in innovation … At a time when the world has so many challenges, it is inspiring to visit a dynamic and creative place like India.”
‘Covid jabs made in India saved millions of lives’
Gates praised India for its “amazing ability to manufacture lots of safe, effective, and affordable vaccines” and said they saved “millions of lives during the Covid-19 pandemic and prevented other diseases around the world”.
Do you think governments are better prepared for the next pandemic?…Watch Bill Gates’ reply
He also noted how India successfully and efficiently delivered more than 2.2 billion doses of Covid vaccines through CoWin. “This platform is now being expanded to support India’s universal immunisation program. PM Modi believes that CoWIN is a model for the world, and I agree,” he added.
Innovations in digital technology
Gates also admired the Centre’s Gati Shakti programme, which digitally connects 16 ministries so they can “integrate their plans for infrastructure projects and accelerate the work of Indian scientists and engineers”.
On India taking over the G20 presidency, Gates said that this was an “excellent opportunity to highlight how innovations developed in India can benefit the world, and to help other countries adopt them. Supporting these efforts—especially spreading its digital ID (Aadhaar) and payments systems to other places—is a high priority for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation”. Gates is the co-chair of the foundation.
Gates further commended PM Modi’s efforts to eliminate “deadly and debilitating diseases” like tuberculosis, visceral leishmaniasis, and lymphatic filariasis. “The PM told me about a fascinating movement taking shape in India: Communities are ‘adopting’ TB patients to make sure they get the nutrition and care they need. India has used a similar approach with HIV, and it’s been shown to produce lasting results,” he wrote.
He also lauded the country’s initiative to promote universal foundational literacy and numeracy across the country.
‘Tasted millet khichdi’
The Microsoft co-founder also touched upon ‘Mission Innovation (MI)’ launched in 2015 where India is the key partner and works to accelerate work on clean energy technologies.
“I am looking forward to getting together with the MI partners during the COP28 Summit this December to accelerate the development of new sources of affordable, reliable clean energy.”
Watch: Bill Gates gives tadka to ‘Khichdi’ at Gates Foundation event
Gates also wrote about his visit to the India Council of Agricultural Research in Pusa, “where I learned about efforts to help farmers adapt to a warmer climate, including by planting new varieties of wheat and chickpeas that can tolerate droughts”. “Scientists are also working to increase the shelf life of millet-based products. Millets are very nutritious — a super food, as PM Modi put it—and are also water-efficient and heat tolerant. I even got to taste millet khichdi, a type of porridge, at a ‘Godh Bharai’ ceremony—similar to a baby shower—for two women hosted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.”
“I hope India will continue this progress and share its innovations with the world,” added Gates.
Watch India can be an innovation hub for the world, says Bill Gates