India is a world leader in breakthrough innovations: Bill Gates on I-Day
The event, for the first time in the Greater Seattle area, showcased all the states and regions of India through floats and cultural performances celebrating the theme of Unity in Diversity | Credit: X
India is a global leader in groundbreaking innovations, said American businessman and Microsoft founder Bill Gates as he joined Indian Americans at the first-ever celebration of India’s Independence Day at the newly opened Indian Consulate in Seattle.
Bill Gates, Chairman of the Gates Foundation, kicked off the first India Day celebrations in the Greater Seattle area as Consulate General of India and Seattle’s Guest of Honour on India’s 78th Independence Day, a press release said.
In his address to the more than 2,000 members of the Indian-American community, he called India a global leader with groundbreaking innovations in technology, agriculture and healthcare.
Gates further said: From producing safe, low-cost vaccines to the remarkable leadership of the Indian diaspora to India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, India’s ingenuity is helping not just Indians, but the world. Countries in the Global South are tapping into India’s experience to build their DPI systems.
Other participants in the India Day celebration included Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, Congressman Adam Smith, Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson, Commander, America’s First Corps, Pacific Northwest, Rear Admiral Mark Sucato, Commander, Naval Region North West, Washington Lt. Governor Denny Heck, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, and Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Steve Gonzalez.
The event, for the first time in the Greater Seattle area, featured all the states and regions of India through floats and cultural performances celebrating the theme of Unity in Diversity.
Each float was curated by prominent leaders of the Indian-American community and reflected several important aspects of India’s rich cultural heritage.
To mark the occasion, five separate official proclamations were issued by governments/city councils of King County, Bellevue City (Washington), Portland (Oregon), Hillsboro (Oregon), Tigard (Oregon) to honor the India Day celebrations. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon also sent a separate congratulatory message on India’s 78th Independence Day. Some iconic buildings in Seattle and Bellevue were also lit up in tricolor to mark the India Day celebrations, the press release said.
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First publication: Aug 17, 2024 | 07:57 AM IST