Bill Gates and Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed India's progress in health, development, and climate, its G20 presidency and other significant areas at a in person meeting on March 3, 2023, in Delhi.
After the meeting with the Prime Minister, Gates remarked in his blog, “My conversation with the Prime Minister left me more optimistic than ever about the progress that India is making in health, development, and climate.”
Praising India’s vaccine initiatives and its manufacturing capabilities to produce affordable vaccines, Gates said, “Vaccines produced in India have saved millions of lives during the pandemic and prevented other diseases around the world.”
Referring to the country's indigenously developed platform Co-WIN, he added, “This platform is now being expanded to support India’s universal immunization program. Prime Minister Modi believes that Co-WIN is a model for the world, and I agree.”
The Microsoft co-founder further lauded India for implementing digital payments during the pandemic. “This was only possible because India has made financial inclusion a priority, investing in a digital ID system (called Aadhaar) and creating innovative platforms for digital banking. It’s a reminder that financial inclusion is a fantastic investment,” he emphasized in his blog.
The blog also had highlights of parts of his conversation with Prime Minister Modi including India's G20 Presidency, the Gati Shakti program, education, climate change and India's efforts to eliminate deadly and debilitating diseases.
On climate change, Gates said that he is working with India to promote and develop clean energy technologies. “ I’m looking forward to getting together with the Mission Innovation (MI) partners during the COP28 Summit this December to accelerate the development of new sources of affordable, reliable clean energy,” he wrote.
He ended his blog by expressing pride that his nonprofit the Gates Foundation has enabled India adopt and implement innovative methods in various areas. “The country is showing what’s possible when we invest in innovation. I hope India will continue this progress and share its innovations with the world. I’m proud that the Gates Foundation will be a partner along the way,” he concluded.
