India's AI Mission Partners with Gates Foundation to Advance AI Solutions in Key Sectors

IndiaAI Mission Partners with Gates Foundation for AI in Healthcare, Climate, and Education

As part of its IndiaAI Mission, the government has recently launched AIKosha, a sovereign datasets platform, and an AI Compute Portal to enhance access to quality datasets and computational power. IndiaAI Mission is set to collaborate with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop AI-driven solutions aimed at transforming key sectors, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on X. Vaishnaw confirmed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will soon be signed between the two entities. "AI solutions for better crops, stronger healthcare, smarter education & climate resilience -- MoU soon between IndiaAI Mission & Bill Gates Foundation," he stated following his meeting with Gates, who is currently in India. As part of its IndiaAI Mission, the government has recently launched AIKosha, a sovereign datasets platform, and an AI Compute Portal to enhance access to quality datasets and computational power. The initiative also includes plans to locally manufacture GPUs over the next three to five years under the ₹10,000 crore IndiaAI Mission. The AI Compute Portal aims to provide subsidised GPU access for research and development, with approximately 14,000 GPUs already deployed and another 4,000 in the pipeline. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had earlier initiated the procurement of 18,693 GPUs from shortlisted vendors. Several ministries, including those handling agriculture, weather forecasting, and Bhashini, have already contributed datasets to the platform. Vaishnaw previously highlighted progress in developing India's own AI foundational model, stating, "India's own foundational model for AI is going well; we have 67 applications, 22 of which are for creating LLMs." Meanwhile, Bill Gates visited NITI Aayog's Viksit Bharat Strategy Room (VBSR) on Monday, where he experienced an advanced AI-enabled immersive centre designed to enhance data-driven policymaking. The VBSR, launched on March 7, 2024, is a key initiative for evidence-based governance at the national level.

Bill Gates, PM Modi discuss AI, healthcare, agriculture collaboration

Microsoft cofounder and philanthropist Bill Gates met prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday to discuss collaboration across the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), healthcare and agriculture, as well as on the digital infrastructure front. Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the India AI Mission and the Gates Foundation is expected soon. "AI solutions for better crops, stronger healthcare, smarter education, and climate resilience -- MoU soon between India AI Mission and the Gates Foundation," Vaishnaw posted on X. This is Gates' third visit to India in three years. The discussions with the PM also touched upon India's development agenda and the government's 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision to transform the country into a developed economy by its independence centenary year. "I had a great discussion with @narendramodi 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," Gates posted on X. Gates also met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to explore further collaboration in the agriculture sector. The discussion focused on climate-resilient crops, biofortification, and AI-based farming methods. "The Gates Foundation is already working with us, and today we discussed where we can expand that collaboration," Chouhan said.

Bill Gates meets PM Modi; says impressed by India's innovation powering development locally - and globally

Bill Gates met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Indian leaders, discussing technology, innovation, and sustainability. They reviewed collaborations between India and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in healthcare, AI, and agriculture. Gates highlighted India's progress and its global impact, emphasizing advancements in maternal health, immunization, and sanitation achieved through their partnership. New Delhi: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Wednesday said he is impressed by how innovation in India is driving "progress locally -- and globally", as he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed a host of subjects including technology, innovation and sustainability. Gates also met Union Health Minister J P Nadda when the collaboration between the government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the healthcare sector was reviewed. The philanthropist also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who said they had a thoughtful conversation on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue. "Discussed development challenges, the promise of innovation and the relevance of India," Jaishankar posted on X. Gates also had a meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and they discussed leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics to improve service delivery in the fields of healthcare, education, agriculture, and employment generation. After meeting Modi, Gates said on X, "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." The prime minister said, "As always, an excellent meeting with Bill Gates. We spoke about diverse issues including tech, innovation and sustainability towards making a better future for the coming generations." In a post on X, Nadda highlighted the strides India has made in areas such as maternal health, immunisation, and sanitation with the support of the Gates Foundation. "Met with Mr Bill Gates, founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, during his visit to India today. We discussed the remarkable progress India has achieved in healthcare, particularly in maternal health, immunisation, and sanitation, through our collaboration with the Foundation. "I acknowledged the Foundation's valuable support in strengthening health systems and driving impactful initiatives," Nadda said. "We look forward to renewing our memorandum of cooperation, furthering our shared commitment to ensuring affordable, accessible and quality healthcare for all the citizens," he added. After his meeting with Gates, Naidu in a post on X lauded the role of the Gates Foundation in realising the vision of 'Swarna Andhra Pradesh 2047' -- a long-term developmental goal of the state. "We believe this partnership with the Gates Foundation will play a crucial role in empowering our people and achieving this goal," Naidu said. Gates also visited Parliament on Wednesday where the Budget Session is presently underway. On Monday, Gates met Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan who said their discussions covered a range of topics, including food security, rural development and the application of AI and Machine Learning in agriculture. "The Gates Foundation has been working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and we are planning new areas of cooperation," Chauhan said in a statement.

Indian Government and Bill Gates Explore Leveraging AI and ML in Agriculture: Report

The discussions included AI applications in healthcare, agriculture, and public services. 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. Also Read: Google Announces AI Collaborations for Healthcare, Sustainability, and Agriculture in India "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. Also Read: India's Digital Economy to Outpace Agriculture, Manufacturing by 2030: Govt Report 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. Also Read: IndiaAI and Microsoft Join Forces to Harness AI for Economic Transformation 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." Also Read: Aadhaar Has Enabled Jio to Activate Millions of Customers: Infosys Chairman "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 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. Also Read: AI: Google Health AI Updates, xAI Acquires GenAI Video Startup, Mistral Releases Small AI Model "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.

IndiaAI Mission, Gates Foundation To Ink Pact On AI Innovation Soon: Vaishnaw

The IndiaAI Mission, approved in March 2024 with a budget of INR 10,372 Cr over five years, is designed to establish a robust AI ecosystem At a time when artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm and the technology is seeing a rapid adoption in India as well, the government is looking to further step up its AI-driven initiatives through a new partnership between the IndiaAI Mission and the Gates Foundation. Both these entities will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build AI solutions for better crops, stronger healthcare, smarter education and climate resilience. "AI solutions for better crops, stronger healthcare, smarter education & climate resilience -- MoU soon between India AI Mission & Gates Foundation," union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on X after a meeting with Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates. Meanwhile, Gates also expressed his appreciation over discussion on the rapid expansion of India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the IndiaAI Mission. "I look forward to continuing our partnership with the Government of India and India's AI innovators across health, education, climate, and agriculture to improve lives in India and around the world," he wrote on X. Gates visited India this week, and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Health Minister JP Nadda and Vaishnaw, among other senior officials. The IndiaAI Mission, approved in March 2024 with a budget of INR 10,372 Cr over five years, is designed to establish a robust AI ecosystem. It aims to provide advanced supercomputing resources, including over 10,000 GPUs, to various stakeholders. As part of this initiative, the government has introduced several key programs, such as the IndiaAI Compute Portal, which will offer cost-effective AI computing, networking, storage, and cloud services. Additionally, AIKosha, a unified datasets platform, was launched earlier this month. The IndiaAI Mission has also invited Indian startups, researchers, and entrepreneurs to collaborate on developing foundational AI models trained on indigenous datasets. So far, it has received 187 applications for this initiative. According to a blog post on the IndiaAI website, a panel of experts will evaluate the submitted proposals, and shortlisted candidates will be invited for a detailed presentation. Also, PM Modi co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris last month, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. During the event, Modi announced that India would host the next edition of the summit.