Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Wednesday praised India’s Digital Public Infrastructure. Gates said that India has a "great" digital network and high levels of smartphone usage with "very good" connectivity and added this will be the cheapest 5G market.
Addressing a session on 'Building resilient and inclusive economies- the Promise of Digital Public Infrastructure' held in New Delhi under the G20 presidency of India, Gates appreciated India's competitive private market, reliable and low-cost connectivity, and went on to say this will be the cheapest 5G market.
Gates said, “Digital payments in India have made sure that workers get paid very very quickly, before that it was a big problem before.”
Hailing India's new collaboration with Singapore on the new payment system, Gates said, "If we can reduce the overhead or remittance payment even just by a few per cent that is a gigantic amount of money."
On Wednesday, the Billionaire philanthropist also delivered a speech at the 5th Ramnath Goenka Memorial Lecture.
Talking about climate change Gates said, "World is counting on India to play a central role. You have 70 million young people, you have educational institutions that are getting stronger. So we need innovation from the whole world but a lot specifically from India.”
“At Microsoft, we chose to put a development center here in 1998. It has been a fantastic thing a lot of great work... our CEO Satya Nadeal is quite fantastic. He came to us partly because we have such a strong connection here.”
Bill Gates also met Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya during the day and appreciated India's COVID-19 management. Bill Gates appreciated India's COVID Management, vaccination drive, and Digital Health initiatives like Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
He visited the dedicated War Room named National Public Health Observatory which was shaped during Covid times.
"Wonderful meeting with @BillGates. He appreciated India's COVID-19 Management, Vaccination Drive & Digital Health initiatives like Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. We discussed India's G20 health priorities, PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana and eSanjeevani," Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted on Wednesday.