Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, for the last week, has been seen meeting the country's most known faces, from Anand Mahindra, and Ratan Tata to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a part of his India trip.
Gates has regularly been updating his blog and social media handles with updates from his India trip. On Monday, he posted a video of him driving a Mahindra e-rickshaw, Treo with Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey's classic 'Babu Samjho Ishaare' playing in the background.
Gates described his video as, "India’s passion for innovation never ceases to amaze. I drove an electric rickshaw, capable of traveling up to 131km (about 81 miles) and carrying up to 4 people. It’s inspiring seeing companies like Mahindra contribute to the decarbonization of the transportation industry."
Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, tweeted inviting Gates for a race with him and Sachin Tendulkar. He said: “Chalti ka Naam Bill Gates ki Gaadi.” So glad you found the time to check out the Treo @BillGates Now on your next trip’s agenda should be a 3-wheeler EV drag race between you, @sachin_rt and me…"
This comes after the businessman and Master Blaster met with Gates at a gathering in Mumbai last week.
Tendulkar tweeted a picture with Gates alongside his wife, Dr. Anjali Tendulkar.
From pictures that were taken at the same gathering, it is seen that Gates also met the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das, Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata, and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrashekaran. He also met Anand Mahindra and gave him a book that addressed Mahindra as a fellow Harvard classmate.
In his blog 'Gates Notes', the Microsoft co-founder wrote that India has been a shining example of resilience and innovation. He added the country has shown it can tackle big problems and provide hope for the future. He stated, "India as a whole gives me hope for the future. It's about to become the world's most populous country, which means you can't solve most problems there without solving them at scale. And yet, India has proven it can tackle big challenges. The country eradicated polio, lowered HIV transmission, reduced poverty, cut infant mortality, and increased access to sanitation and financial services."
Watch: Bill Gates Drives Mahindra Treo Electric Auto Rickshaw During His India Visit
Read: Bill Gates meets Ratan Tata, N Chandrasekaran; share ideas on philanthropy