Chairman of the Gates Foundation and former Microsoft CEO, Bill Gates, met Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on Wednesday. He also met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday, March 17, to discuss collaboration in agriculture, rural development, and technological innovation.
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Discussions on AI and Agriculture
"We had discussions with Bill Gates and his team on various important issues. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is working globally in agriculture, rural development, women's empowerment, and sharing best practices. An agreement was reached to work together in these areas." Chouhan said.
"Today, discussions were held on cooperation in digital agriculture, possibilities of cooperation in research and development with ICAR, cooperation in rural development as well as in the field of exchange of technology including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and an agreement was reached to work together," Chouhan shared in a post in Hindi on X on March 17.
The meeting focused on leveraging AI and machine learning (ML) in agriculture, improving food security, and sharing best practices for rural development.
"I had a great discussion with Narendra 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. It's impressive to see how innovation in India is driving progress locally—and globally," Gates posted on X on March 19.
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Praise for India’s AI Leadership
Bill Gates hailed India's achievements in the field of AI, adding that the country's leadership in AI will drive innovation worldwide, ANI reported on March 19.
Addressing an event, Future Forward—a forum that brings together global industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and changemakers to drive real-world collaboration and impact— the Gates Foundation Chairman reportedly said, "Similar to how DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure) has garnered global attention, India's leadership in AI will drive innovation worldwide."
"I recently spoke with the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology about the upcoming AI summit, which I believe will be a fantastic opportunity. The foundation will ensure that governments, especially from the Global South, participate and benefit from India's advancements," he reportedly added while speaking during the event in New Delhi.
Explaining the benefits, Gates reportedly said that AI will accelerate advancements in areas like mRNA vaccines, agricultural innovation, and the fight against malnutrition.
By gathering and analysing data, we can make targeted interventions and eliminate the barriers that hold people back, he added, according to the report.
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Visit to India
Bill Gates, on his third visit to India in three years, emphasised India's role in global health, digital transformation, and agricultural innovation. In a LinkedIn post before his visit, he noted, "India has already achieved incredible progress: eliminating polio, expanding childhood vaccinations, improving sanitation for millions, and strengthening agriculture to support smallholder farmers. Now, the country is tackling its biggest health and development challenges with AI-driven diagnostics, digital public infrastructure, and innovative approaches to tuberculosis elimination."
"India is a place where big challenges meet even bigger ambitions, and where innovation is transforming lives at an incredible scale. Every time I’m there, I see firsthand how much progress is being made in public health, agriculture, and technology. And I come away with new ideas, because India is full of smart, ambitious people tackling some of the world’s hardest problems in creative ways."
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About Aadhaar and Digital Payments
"Beyond health, India is also at the forefront of digital transformation. I’ve written before about how digital public infrastructure (DPI)—like Aadhaar and India's digital payments system—has made it easier for millions of people to access banking, healthcare, and government services. Now, India is using AI-powered DPI tools to help rural health workers improve early disease detection, optimise pregnancy care, and manage patient data more effectively."
AI in Agriculture
"AI is also transforming agriculture across the country. When I was in Odisha last year, I saw farmers using AI-powered tools to predict weather patterns, choose crops, and reduce disease risks. I’m looking forward to seeing how much better those tools have gotten in the short time since," Gates said in a LinkedIn post on March 15.
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AI-powered Diagnostics
"The solutions being developed there [India], from vaccine manufacturing to AI-powered diagnostics, are being shared with the world. Indian companies are making TB tests that could be game-changing across Africa. They're developing AI models that could help farmers across Asia. And they’re proving that digital technology can make healthcare work better for everyone, especially the most vulnerable," he shared.
Conversation at Express Adda Event
"If India can stay on the path of the 2047 plan, that will be beneficial not just to India, it will be beneficial for the whole world. The fact that you have 20 per cent of the humanity that runs, may be a semi-chaotic but truly democratic elections… and works out all its priorities — more money for health, more money for education — has created a very good dynamic where you are competing in good governance," Gates said in a conversation with the Executive Director of The Indian Express Group, at the Express Adda event in Mumbai on Thursday.
Gates described India’s economic outlook as optimistic, saying, “It is a great place to be in when the main debate revolves around whether the growth rate will be 5 per cent or 10 per cent. I don’t think it will be 10 per cent, but I don’t think it will fall below 5 per cent either. It is a great spot to be in. This is a remarkable period, offering significant opportunities. The economic growth will enable the government to allocate more funds toward healthcare and education," he reportedly said.
Speaking on AI, he reportedly said the technology would bring about profound changes in human lives and discounted fears that it would take away jobs. "We weren't born to do jobs. Jobs are a result of scarcity in the system. We will be able to have a level of output, enough food, enough medical care, that it would not require everyone to be working as today," he reportedly said.
Gates is Scared of AI
Despite acknowledging all the positive ways in which AI would influence human lives, Gates said he was still scared of this technology in general. "If I had control, I would have probably liked to slow down the pace of its development," he reportedly said.
On climate change, he reportedly said it was unlikely that the world would be able to prevent the 1.5 degree or 2 degree warming but said technology innovation would keep the planet afloat.
Innovation in India
Gates also commended the Innovation in India, saying, "It's a phenomenal thing, whether in banking, government benefit distribution, insurance or stock trading; every time I am here, I see a dozen more companies (working to build upon this digital infrastructure)… Frankly, innovation in India is progressing at a faster rate than I had expected," he reportedly said.
Gates said that along with affordable vaccine development, digital public infrastructure was one of the two very valuable contributions from India to the world in recent times. Asked to pick his favourite, he said he would go with the latter, according to the report.
He said India was approaching AI development the right way. "Much of India's use of AI will focus on applying it effectively. Much of the state-of-the-art foundational models are open source and widely available. These latest models, even if a few months behind on benchmarks, are accessible to everyone. India can take these and adapt them to its own needs, such as ensuring support for Indian native languages," he reportedly said.
Concern Over Decline of Newspapers
Gates also voiced concerns over the decline of newspapers globally, saying, "It is very sad that the business model of newspapers is under threat. There are hardly any newspapers even at the national level in United States that get into investigative reporting these days. I hope some philanthropic organisations devote their attention this side,” he told The Indian Express.
"Since the start of this century… India has taken over 60 percent of global vaccine production," he said. He reportedly pointed to advances in diagnostics, AI, agriculture, and biofertilisers as further proof of India’s growing role in global innovation.
