PM engages in candid chat with Bill Gates; highlights importance of promoting millets

Promoting use of millets was among the key topics that Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in their interaction at the Prime Minister’s house.
During the conversation, the PM called for an improvement in vegetarian diets as it includes several harmful choices and asked people to switch to millets.
“I believe even vegetarian diets need improvement. For example, millets. I celebrated 2023 as the Millet Year with UN. Millets have great benefits as they grow on barren land, need minimal water and do not require any fertilizer. It is a superfood. Even within vegetarian options, some choices are more harmful and switching to millet could bring significant benefits,” the PM said.
Gates responded to the PM telling him how he was apprised of the fact that millets were a very popular diet in Odisha long back.
“When I went to Odisha, I came to know that millet was very popular food there a long time ago and now it is coming back in the market in with the joint efforts of the government. They even took me to the shops where they offered me very nutritious foods and they tasted good to me,” Bill Gates added.
PM Modi further said that many reputable companies are now offering millet based products in the country and are enhancing its value and making it both common and trendy.
“When you will go to five-star hotel here, you will find another menu for millet foods,” the PM said.
PM Modi also highlighted initiatives aimed at empowering women, citing the transformative Namo Drone Didi programme, which equips women with drone piloting skills, thereby fostering economic independence and rural development.
The discussion further underscored India’s ambitious climate commitments, including the “Panchamrit” pledge announced at the COP26 summit.
PM Modi also showed a jacket made from recycled materials, symbolising India’s commitment to sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.
PM Modi and Bill Gates also had an extensive discussion on the role and benefits of artificial intelligence (AI). The Prime Minister highlighted how he used AI during the G20 Summit last year, and also during the Kashi Tamil Sangamam event, where his speech was translated live from Hindi to Tamil.
“Historically, during the first and second industrial revolutions, we lagged because we were a colony. Now, we are in midst of a fourth industrial revolution with the digital element at its core. I am confident that India will gain a lot during this period. AI is very important. Sometimes, I jokingly say that in our country, we call our mother ‘Aai’. Now I say that when a child is born, he says ‘Aai’ as well as AI as children have become so advanced.”
The PM, however, cautioned about the deceptive potential of deep fake technology and stressed the need for labelling such content and providing its complete source. Moreover, he also advocated for the establishment of a well-considered legal framework to regulate AI and deep fake technology.
“Our priority is to enhance the quality of life rather than merely focusing on services,” said the PM. “In sectors like health, agriculture, and education, we have taken significant strides. For instance, India has established 2,00,000 Arogya Mandir Health Centres in villages and interconnected them with leading hospitals using modern technology,” he added.
Notably, the central government put in major effort, from the topmost level, into promoting millets as healthy, sustainable crops. There were policy initiatives, extensive publicity, and everyone from corporates to state governments to self-help groups enthusiastically promoting millets