At IIT Delhi, Bill Gates Inspires Students to Solve Global Issues with Innovative Solutions

IIT Delhi Updates: Bill Gates, while addressing to students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, urged to use technology to benefit society. Over 1,000 students joined the interaction on the campus’s Dogra Hall auditorium. Check details here 

IIT Delhi: Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke and interacted with students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi about 'Innovation for Public Good'. During his keynote address Gates said, “I am looking at India in a far broader way. I’m lucky enough, through the work of the foundation, to look at innovators who can help with all kinds of problems - starting with health, but also agriculture, gender and climate. We need fantastic Indian innovation.”

More than 1,000 participants attended in person at the fully occupied Dogra Hall auditorium, and the event was also broadcast live on YouTube for students from various IIT campuses. His keynote address was followed by a question-and-answer session with several students in the audience, moderated by IIT Delhi alumna Gazal Kalra, Co-founder of Rivigo, India, and Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Clean Energy Ministerial.  

Role of Emerging Technologies 

He emphasised the importance of new technologies in tackling ongoing health and development issues, stressing the necessity for solutions that are scalable and affordable to ensure fair distribution. He praised India's efforts in vaccine production, the use of AI in education, and the development of digital public infrastructure, highlighting their role in advancing the global public good. He also underlined the significance of partnerships among educational institutions, the government, and private entities in fostering innovations that have a broad public impact.

Using Skills To Solve Global Challenges 

The students were keen to hear about his views on the future of technology, building new-age businesses, technology, and his approach to philanthropic impact. 

Bill Gates said, “I hope that as you plot out your future after IIT, you use the skills you sharpened here to improve lives in India and around the world,” said Mr. Bill Gates. “There’s a mind-boggling number of ways you can make a difference. I’m excited to see the great things you do for India and the world.”

There were over 2,000 questions for Bill Gates that were pre-submitted by the students, who sought his advice on a number of topics, including becoming an entrepreneur and setting up an organisation like Microsoft.

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