During the meeting, Chouhan highlighted India’s rapid progress in poverty alleviation, women’s empowerment, and agricultural growth, attributing it to government initiatives and technological advancements.
“We had discussions with Bill Gates and his team on various important issues. The Bill & 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.
आज दिनांक 17 मार्च 2025 को नयी दिल्ली स्थित कृषि भवन में माननीय केंद्रीय ग्रामीण विकास और कृषि एवं किसान कल्याण मंत्री, श्री शिवराज सिंह चौहान ने गेट्स फाउंडेशन के अध्यक्ष एवं माइक्रोसॉफ्ट के सह-संस्थापक, @BillGates के साथ औपचारिक भेंट की। बैठक के दौरान सचिव, ग्रामीण विकास विभाग… pic.twitter.com/DDBX6S2c5Z
— Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India (@MoRD_GoI) March 17, 2025
The meeting focused on leveraging AI and machine learning in agriculture, improving food security, and sharing best practices for rural development. Senior officials from the Ministry of Rural Development, including secretary Shailesh Kumar Singh and Gates Foundation country director Hari Menon, were present at the discussions.
Bill Gates, who is 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 is a place where big challenges meet even bigger ambitions, and where innovation is transforming lives at an incredible scale.”
The Gates Foundation has been working in India for over two decades, contributing to public health, vaccine manufacturing, and disease eradication. Gates pointed to India’s AI-powered agricultural tools as a game-changer, helping farmers predict weather patterns, choose crops, and reduce risks.
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