Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, met with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday to discuss key areas of collaboration in agriculture and rural development.
The meeting focused on enhancing ongoing initiatives and exploring new opportunities for cooperation between the Gates Foundation and the Indian government.
Following the discussion, Chouhan highlighted that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is already working with the Indian government in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. He emphasised that both parties explored additional areas where they could collaborate to drive progress in the sector.
India’s current agricultural priorities include the development of climate-resilient and bio-fortified crop varieties to secure future food supplies. "The Gates Foundation is already working with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and there is room for further technical collaboration in this area," Chouhan stated.
India has made significant strides in agricultural research, with ICAR developing over 2,900 crop varieties, of which 85% are climate-resistant and 179 are bio-fortified. Bill Gates praised India's research efforts, noting that the advancements being made in the country could also benefit the global agricultural sector.
Chouhan underscored the potential for deeper collaboration in emerging fields such as digital agriculture, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and climate-friendly farming techniques. He also acknowledged the Gates Foundation’s contribution to rural development, particularly its role in strengthening the Model Cluster Level Federation.
The meeting was attended by Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, Rural Development Secretary Shailesh Singh, ICAR officials, and representatives from the Gates Foundation, including Hari Menon and Alkesh Advani.