Bill Gates visits Andhra, discusses health, AI & digital governance with CM

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates arrived in Andhra Pradesh on February 16, 2026, where he met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at the state secretariat in Amaravati.

Gates was received at the airport by IT Minister Nara Lokesh and other officials before proceeding to the secretariat. Chief Minister Naidu later shared a welcome message on social media, marking Gates’ return to the state after 1997.

The high-level meeting at the Secretariat cantered on deepening collaboration between the Gates Foundation and the Andhra Pradesh government across multiple sectors. Discussions covered public health, agriculture, education, artificial intelligence, and technology-driven governance. Naidu used the occasion to present the state’s ambitious Swarn Andhra Vision 2047 roadmap and showcased flagship initiatives aimed at improving citizen services and sustainable development. 

https://x.com/ncbn/status/2023318110762045581?s=20

A major highlight of the visit was Gates’ tour of the Real Time Governance System (RTGS) Centre, a digital monitoring platform used to track public services and welfare schemes. The system has been positioned by the state government as an example of how data-driven governance can improve administrative efficiency.

Naidu reflected on his long-standing connection with Gates, recalling their first meeting in 1997 when he had presented his early vision for building a strong IT ecosystem in the then-undivided Andhra Pradesh. In a post on X, the Chief Minister wrote: “Technology must serve humanity. Our Real Time Governance System (RTGS) is transforming lives… Grateful for my 1990s meeting with Mr. Bill Gates, which inspired this tech-driven citizen empowerment.”

Technology must serve humanity. Our Real Time Governance System (RTGS) is transforming lives across Andhra Pradesh - delivering speed in governance & ease of doing business in real time. Grateful for my 1990s meeting with Mr. Bill Gates, which inspired this tech-driven citizen… pic.twitter.com/ZCDERUjSZw

— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) February 16, 2026

A significant portion of the discussions focused on technology-led public service delivery. State officials briefed Gates on health interventions already supported by the Gates Foundation in parts of Andhra Pradesh and explored possibilities for scaling similar efforts. Demonstrations involving artificial intelligence tools and drone applications in agriculture were also part of the agenda, reflecting the state’s emphasis on tech-enabled solutions.

The visit comes just ahead of Gates’ participation in the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. It underscores the ongoing partnership between the Gates Foundation and Andhra Pradesh, which has spanned several years in areas such as health surveillance, digital public infrastructure, and agricultural innovation.