Andhra CM meets Bill Gates at WEF, discusses ties in health, education

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has met Microsoft founder Bill Gates at the World Economic Forum in Davos and discussed fostering partnerships to transform the state into a global healthcare, education and innovation hub, the state government said.

The two deliberated on establishing a centre of excellence for health innovation and diagnostics in the southern state to offer cutting-edge services, an official release said on Wednesday.

"I am delighted to meet Bill Gates again after a long time...his focus on technology and innovation has been an inspiration to all. We discussed opportunities for collaboration in health and AI innovation, and I look forward to BMGF's (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) partnership in Andhra Pradesh's progress," the release quoted Naidu as saying.

Emphasising that Andhra Pradesh is committed to leveraging innovation to improve public health outcomes, the CM invited Gates to join the advisory board of a proposed artificial intelligence (AI) university in the state.

Naidu assured Gates that Andhra Pradesh could serve as a gateway for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's initiatives across south India, offering a platform to amplify its reach and effectiveness.

Earlier, the chief minister requested tech giant Google to consider Visakhapatnam as a probable chip design and manufacture centre.

"Naidu requested Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian to explore opportunities in Visakhapatnam for a chip design centre, as Google is now manufacturing its own chips for server operations," the release stated.

In a post on X, Naidu said, "Had an engaging discussion with Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, and Andre Nakazawa, manager International Organisation at Google. We explored the latest advancements in technology and the incredible opportunities in Andhra Pradesh. With our exceptionally talented youth, we're poised to redefine the future of tech!"  The chief minister also met Muhammad Taufiq, President and Group CEO of Petronas, and urged him to invest in the emerging petrochemical hub at Mulapeta.

He also requested Petronas to consider setting up a global capability centre in Andhra Pradesh.

Petronas, aiming to produce 5 million tonnes of green ammonia by 2030, is looking to invest in green hydrogen, green ammonia and green molecules space in India. As part of this, the company is expected to invest up to Rs 15,000 crore in a plant in Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, the release said.

Similarly, Naidu held discussions with Eugene Willemsen, CEO of Pepsi International Franchise Beverages, and Stephen Kehoe, Chairman of the PepsiCo Foundation.

He invited them to make Visakhapatnam PepsiCo's global delivery centre and to set up a PepsiCo digital hub.

The CM also requested PepsiCo to establish a KurKure manufacturing unit and collaborate with Andhra Pradesh farmers for supply chain needs.

Additionally, Naidu had a meeting with Hamad Al Mahmeed, a representative from the Bahrain Prime Minister's Office, and Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, CEO of Mumtalakat.

He told them about Andhra Pradesh's new industrial policies and invited them to the state to witness its "speed of doing business".

The chief minister met Unilever Chief Supply Officer Willem Uijen, according to the release.

Unilever is considering investing Rs 330 crore in palm oil space in Andhra Pradesh and Naidu requested the company to consider Visakhapatnam for setting up its technology centre, the release said.

Moreover, Naidu sought assistance from Roberto Bocca, head of Centre for Energy and Materials (Cenmat) and WEF's executive committee member, to attract global investments into Andhra Pradesh in the areas of green hydrogen, battery storage and solar manufacturing, it said.

He also sought the WEF's support for establishing a clean energy knowledge and skill development centre in the state, it said.