Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates to visit Odisha on Feb 28

Bhubaneswar: Technology magnate and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is set to visit the capital city of Odisha today, where he will tour the innovative Krushi Bhawan, according to reports.

In a blog post previewing his visit, Gates highlighted his agenda, stating, “I’ll visit an agricultural monitoring center in the state of Odisha where government officials use DPI to give farmers real-time guidance.” He commended the utilization of Aadhaar, enabling the center to maintain a registry of 7.5 million farmers and their crops, even for those without land ownership. The blog emphasized the significance of the chatbot developed by the center, providing farmers with tailored information in their local language using AI.

Gates praised the pest-management program initiated in 2018, reaching over 4 million farmers and resulting in a remarkable 90 percent reduction in crop loss to pests. The success of this program has garnered international attention, with other regions, including states in India, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, and the World Bank, seeking insights from Odisha’s experience.

The philanthropist shared his plans to visit a low-income community in Odisha, where a government program has empowered women to acquire skills necessary for fulfilling government construction contracts. Since its inception in 2018, the program has assisted 22,000 groups of women in completing over 52,000 projects, including the construction of roads, drains, and toilets.

In 2017, the Odisha Government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on enhancing data management in the agriculture sector to improve the lives of small farmers and foster inclusive growth. Bill Gates’ visit is expected to further strengthen the collaboration between the foundation and the state in their shared mission for sustainable development.