On Wednesday, philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates paid a visit to the Maa Mangla Basti in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Gates arrived in the Odisha capital on Tuesday night.
During his visit, Gates is slated to participate in various programs, including one focusing on the utilization of artificial intelligence for farmers.
The Microsoft co-founder is expected to meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and participate in other events related to the ‘Jaga Mission’ (a scheme for the development of slums), the ‘Mukta’ scheme (aimed at providing localized employment opportunities for the urban poor), and ‘Mission Shakti’, according to officials.
Since 2017, the Odisha government’s Department of Agriculture and Farmer Empowerment and the Fisheries and Animal Resource Department have collaborated with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for innovations in data-driven decision-making, officials stated.
In his blog ‘Gate Notes’ on February 25, Gates mentioned his upcoming visit to a low-income community in Odisha where a government program is empowering women with skills to fulfill government construction contracts. He mentioned, “Since 2018, this program has assisted 22,000 groups of women in completing over 52,000 projects including building roads, drains, and toilets.”
Expressing admiration for India’s innovative spirit, particularly its digital public infrastructure (DPI), Gates highlighted that during his visit, he would witness India’s DPI in action. He mentioned visiting an agricultural monitoring center in Odisha where DPI enables government officials to provide real-time guidance to farmers. Gates praised Aadhaar for enabling the center to maintain a registry of 7.5 million farmers and their crops, facilitating tailored farming advice through AI-driven chatbots.
Reflecting on India’s contributions to innovation, Gates emphasized its historical and contemporary breakthroughs, citing the introduction of the decimal system and recent advances that save and improve lives globally.
During his visit, Gates plans to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss how the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation can continue supporting India’s ideas and inventions to benefit people worldwide, irrespective of their location.
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