Bill Gates meets PM Modi, Nadda, and Chandrababu Naidu during his third visit to India, eyes deeper collaboration

During his third visit to India in three years, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and key Union ministers, including Health Minister J.P. Nadda and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

On Tuesday, Gates met with PM Modi. “I had a great discussion with PM Modi about India’s development, the path to Viksit Bharat @ 2047, and exciting advancements in health, agriculture, AI, and other sectors that are creating impact today,” Gates posted on X at 3:00 AM.

Later in the day, he met Health Minister J.P. Nadda. “We discussed the remarkable progress India has achieved in healthcare, particularly in maternal health, immunisation, and sanitation, through our collaboration with the Foundation,” Nadda posted on X.

“We look forward to renewing our Memorandum of Cooperation, furthering our shared commitment to ensuring affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare for all citizens,” he added.

Nadda and Gates reviewed the collaboration between the government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the healthcare sector. Nadda highlighted India’s progress in maternal health, immunisation, and sanitation, achieved with the support of the Gates Foundation.

Gates also met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to discuss harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics to enhance service delivery in healthcare, education, agriculture, and employment generation. The Gates Foundation is already working closely with the Andhra Pradesh government.

“The GoAP is fully committed to realising the vision of Swarna Andhra Pradesh 2047, and we believe this partnership with the Gates Foundation will play a crucial role in empowering our people and achieving this goal,” Naidu posted on X.

Gates also met IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who revealed that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) is expected to be signed soon between the India AI Mission and the Gates Foundation to revolutionise agriculture, healthcare, education, and climate change initiatives.

“AI solutions for better crops, stronger healthcare, smarter education, and climate resilience—MoU soon between India AI Mission and Gates Foundation,” Vaishnaw posted on X earlier today.

On Wednesday, Gates visited Parliament, where the Budget Session is currently in progress.

Earlier on Monday, Gates met Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to discuss food security, rural development, and the application of AI and machine learning in agriculture.

“By developing and scaling cutting-edge ag-tech solutions, India is helping farmers increase crop yield, enhance nutrition, and build resilience against climate change. During my visit to ICAR-IARI (a New Delhi-based agricultural research institute), we also explored opportunities to deepen our collaboration on rural development, women’s empowerment, and technology adoption, with a focus on supporting India’s Lakhpati Didi initiative,” Gates posted on X.

In a blog post before his arrival in India, Gates mentioned that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Gates Foundation and that, for the first time, the Board of Trustees will meet in the Global South.

“This visit will also be significant because—as we mark our 25th anniversary—the Gates Foundation’s Board of Trustees is meeting in the Global South for the first time. India is the right place for this milestone,” Gates wrote in his blog post.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began its work in India in 2003 with the launch of Avahan, an HIV prevention programme estimated to have averted 600,000 new infections. Under a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the foundation provides technical, management, and programme design support for key health initiatives. Efforts are also underway to improve access to family planning measures for younger women and combat infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, visceral leishmaniasis, and lymphatic filariasis.

In terms of recent funding, the foundation granted $263,769 in December 2024 to the IIT Bombay secretariat for tuberculosis modelling, with support planned for just under three years. This month, it awarded $750,261 to the India Health Action Trust to aid efforts in mitigating the impact of lead toxicity in Uttar Pradesh over a two-year period.