India is a global leader with breakthrough innovations, American businessman and Microsoft founder Bill Gates has said as he joined Indian Americans to celebrate the first ever India Independence Day celebrations of the newly-opened Indian Consulate in Seattle.
Bill Gates, chairman of the Gates Foundation, flagged off the first India Day celebrations in the Greater Seattle area as Consulate General of India as Seattle’s Guest of Honor, on India’s 78th Independence Day, a media release said.
Addressing the nearly 2,000 plus members of the Indian American community, he referred to India as a global leader with breakthrough innovations in areas like technology, agriculture and healthcare.
Gates further said, “From manufacturing safe low-cost vaccines to the remarkable leadership shown by the Indian diaspora to India’s Digital Public Infrastructure India’s ingenuity is helping not just Indians, but the whole world. Countries across the Global South are leveraging India’s experience to build their DPI systems.”
Other participants at the India Day celebrations included Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, Congressman Adam Smith, Lt. General Xavier Brunson, Commander of the America’s First Corps in Pacific NorthWest, Rear Admiral Mark Sucato, Commander of the Navy Region of North West, Washington Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and Chief Justice from Washington Supreme Court Steve Gonzalez.