Gates landed at Gannavaram airport and was received by Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh and Home Minister Anitha. He then proceeded to the state secretariat, where Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan welcomed him and introduced him to members of the council of ministers, as per News18.
“Welcome to Amaravati, Mr Bill Gates. It was a pleasure to receive the Chair of the Gates Foundation at Gannavaram Airport today, along with my colleagues Home Minister Smt Anitha Garu, Agriculture Minister Sri Atchannaidu Garu & Health Minister Sri Satya Kumar Garu,” Lokesh wrote in a post on X (formerly twitter).
“We have now proceeded to the Secretariat for discussions on strengthening partnerships in health, agriculture, education, and technology-driven governance. Andhra Pradesh looks forward to working closely with the Gates Foundation to create scalable, impactful solutions for our people,” he added.
Welcoming Gates, Naidu also shared a post on X, stating, “Welcome back, Mr Bill Gates!”
Focus on AI and governance reforms
Gates visited the Real Time Governance System (RTGS) centre at the secretariat, where Naidu presented the state’s use of technology in disaster management and welfare delivery.
Officials briefed him on how data analytics is being used to improve administrative outcomes, and Gates praised the state’s digital governance initiatives, as per a report by News18 Telugu.
Discussions also centred on expanding the use of artificial intelligence in health, education and agriculture. Naidu urged Gates to widen ongoing health programmes already being implemented in parts of the state, including projects supported by the Gates Foundation in Kuppam, Chittoor district, as per News18.
The chief minister also outlined the government’s “Swarna Andhra 2047” vision, including reforms in med-tech, diagnostics and the Sanjeevani digital health-records programme.
Describing the meeting in another post on X, Naidu said, “Technology must serve humanity… Grateful for my 1990s meeting with Mr Bill Gates, which inspired this tech-driven citizen empowerment. Delighted to showcase our RTGS centre today, powered by brilliant young minds, alongside flagship initiatives in education, agriculture & health.”
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
Gates to participate in India AI Impact Summit
Gates is among global leaders attending the AI Impact Summit being hosted in India from February 16 to 20.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
Read more: India AI Impact Summit 2026: Job losses, harmful bots among key issues on agenda
Ahead of the summit, PM Modi welcomed international delegates and highlighted India’s growing contribution to global science and technology.
