(Image source from: Twitter.com/souindia)

During the Times Now Summit 2024, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates expressed his views on India's growth trajectory. He emphasized the importance of India finding its own path and highlighted the significant role of the services sector in driving its progress, rather than relying heavily on manufacturing like China. Gates acknowledged India's consistent growth and noted that there are lessons to be learned from other countries that experienced prolonged periods of growth. He also emphasized India's significance in the philanthropic and technological endeavors of the Gates Foundation, citing the strong partnerships with states like Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. Gates praised India's talented workforce and their commitment to implementing cost-effective solutions for critical issues. Reflecting on his experience with Microsoft in India, Gates mentioned the impressive growth of the team, which now comprises over 25,000 individuals.

During his trip, Gates shared a story about his encounter with a tea maker in Hyderabad. He mentioned that his team proposed doing something enjoyable to help him connect with India, and to his surprise, the video of their meeting became widely popular. Gates also spoke about attending a lavish wedding in Jamnagar, thanks to his friendship with Mukesh Ambani. He had the opportunity to discuss Ambani's green investments during a visit to the refinery, and he praised the exceptional hospitality he received. Additionally, Gates highlighted the remarkable progress of India's digital infrastructure and commended the government's efforts to share it with other nations. He expressed his excitement about India utilizing the G20 meeting as a platform to introduce digital public infrastructure to other countries.