MICROSOFT founder and Gates Foundation chairman Bill Gates on Monday said India was ahead in the digital revolution and credited prime minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu with playing a key role in it.
“India is ahead in the digital revolution and both the prime minister (Narendra Modi) and chief minister (Naidu) are playing key role in the digital revolution,” Gates said.
Gates met Naidu in Amaravati and visited the Real Time Governance System (RTGS) centre at the state secretariat. Naidu showcased several initiatives of the state government, including WhatsApp governance, the Sanjeevani project, the greenfield capital city Amaravati and a data lake.
“Gates Foundation chairman Bill Gates visited RTGS at the secretariat with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Gates observed the utilisation of technology in governance. Naidu explained how civic services are being delivered with speed and the results achieved through real time governance,” an official release said.
Naidu told Gates that the state has synced all departments through a data lake. He also said the government is eliciting information in real time through the Aware 2.0 platform to make quick decisions.
The chief minister described how the government collects public opinion on programmes and schemes, and added that GSDP rise is being regularly estimated through key performance indicators.
The release said Gates asked how property records are being secured, and Naidu replied that blockchain technology is being deployed to protect land records, along with embedding QR codes for transparency.
Gates “complimented that tax collection mode is terrific”, the release said. Naidu observed that tax collection has risen “exponentially” nationally through GST, it added.
Gates also enquired about the Sanjeevani project, a health record digitisation programme being carried out with the Gates Foundation at Kuppam in Chittoor district. The release said he asked how parameters such as blood sugar, diabetes and other medical tests are being recorded, and appreciated that the project is being executed “well”.
Naidu told Gates that public health services are being improved with the use of AI, while Gates asked about the delivery of health services through bio-design. Gates noted that the poor can benefit through cheaper diagnostic tests, and also enquired about Amaravati.
Naidu showcased how the greenfield capital city is being constructed, the release said.
In a post on X, Naidu said: “Technology must serve humanity. Our Real Time Governance System (RTGS) is transforming lives across Andhra Pradesh – delivering speed in governance & ease of doing business in real time. Grateful for my 1990s meeting with Mr. Bill Gates, which inspired this tech-driven citizen empowerment. Delighted to showcase our RTGS centre today, powered by brilliant young minds, alongside flagship initiatives in education, agriculture & health!”
“Welcome back, Mr Bill Gates! AP Welcomes Bill Gates,” Naidu said in another post.
Gates arrived at the state secretariat, where he was received by Naidu, according to an official release. The chief minister introduced his council of ministers, followed by an interaction with IT Minister Nara Lokesh, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and a few senior officials.
Gates was welcomed by Lokesh at Gannavaram Airport along with senior cabinet colleagues.
“Welcome to Amaravati, Mr Bill Gates. It was a pleasure to receive the Chair of the Gates Foundation at Gannavaram Airport today,” Lokesh said in a post on X.
Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh looks forward to working closely with the Gates Foundation to create scalable and impactful solutions for public welfare across sectors.
Accompanied by Andhra Pradesh ministers, Gates proceeded to the state secretariat for discussions on strengthening cooperation in health, agriculture, education and technology-driven governance initiatives.
Naidu has requested Gates to expand ongoing health initiatives across the state and discussions will focus on AI as well. The Gates Foundation is already working at Kuppam in Chittoor district on health-related projects, and the talks are expected to explore scaling up these interventions across Andhra Pradesh.
Later, Naidu is expected to give a presentation on the “Swarna Andhra 2047” vision to Gates, a source told PTI.
Following the engagements at the secretariat, Gates and his team are expected to proceed to a farm at Undavalli village in Amaravati, where he will witness the use of drones and AI technology, the source said.
Gates had earlier visited the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh twice, and this visit follows an invitation extended by Naidu to further deepen collaboration with the state government, Municipal Minister P Narayana earlier said.
(With inputs from agencies)
