Naidu, Bill Gates hold talks at Amaravati Secretariat

Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Monday met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at the State Secretariat in Amaravati, with discussions focusing on expanding cooperation in health, agriculture, education and technology-driven governance initiatives.Gates arrived at the secretariat after landing at Gannavaram Airport, where he was received by IT Minister Nara Lokesh along with senior cabinet colleagues.
Welcoming him, Naidu wrote on X, “Welcome back, Mr Bill Gates! AP Welcomes Bill Gates.” Lokesh also posted, “Welcome to Amaravati, Mr Bill Gates. It was a pleasure to receive the Chair of the Gates Foundation at Gannavaram Airport today.”

Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation, arrived in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. State's Minister Nara Lokesh welcomed him at Gannavaram Airport.

(Pics: Nara Lokesh/X) pic.twitter.com/cDQW5J7USL

— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2026

At the secretariat, the Chief Minister introduced Gates to members of his council of ministers. Gates later interacted with Lokesh, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and senior officials, according to information.Accompanied by state ministers, Gates held detailed discussions with the Chief Minister on strengthening ongoing partnerships with the Gates Foundation. Lokesh noted that Andhra Pradesh looks forward to working closely with the Foundation to create scalable and impactful public welfare solutions across sectors.Naidu requested Gates to expand ongoing health initiatives across the state, with discussions also focusing on the role of Artificial Intelligence in governance and service delivery. The Gates Foundation is already implementing health-related projects in Kuppam in Chittoor district, and the talks are expected to explore scaling up these interventions to benefit a wider population across the state.
Gates is also scheduled to visit the Real Time Governance System (RTGS) centre to observe the use of advanced technology in administration. The Chief Minister will showcase the system’s procedures and outcomes, according to sources.Naidu is expected to make a presentation on the “Swarna Andhra 2047” vision, outlining reforms undertaken in sectors such as med-tech, diagnostic services and Sanjeevani, a health record digitisation programme.Following the engagements at the secretariat, Gates and his team will proceed to a farm at Undavalli village in Amaravati, where he will witness the use of drones and AI-driven technologies in agriculture, according to information.Gates had earlier visited the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh twice. This visit follows an invitation extended by Naidu to deepen collaboration between the state government and the Gates Foundation across key development sectors.