Microsoft Co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates recently shared insights about his long-standing relationship with India on the popular podcast series ‘WTF is with Nikhil Kamath.’ Hosted by Zerodha Co-founder Nikhil Kamath, Gates appeared in the new segment ‘People By WTF,’ where he spoke about his experiences and reflections on working with India.
A Great Relationship with India
Gates fondly recalled the beginning of his journey with India, highlighting the early days of Microsoft when they hired talented IT graduates from India and brought them to Seattle. “We hired some very smart IT graduates and brought them to Seattle,” he recounted. This initiative eventually led to the establishment of a significant development center in India, now spread across four locations and employing 25,000 people.
Reflecting on this journey, Gates said, “I’ve had a fabulous relationship with India starting with the Microsoft experience where we hired some very smart IT graduates, and brought them to Seattle. Later, they went back and created a development centre for us that’s now in four locations, with 25,000 people. Of course, a lot of the amazing people I worked with in Microsoft were hired from India.”
Praise for Satya Nadella
Gates expressed admiration for the current Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, who hails from India. “On the top of that list is Satya, who now is doing a great job as the CEO. In my digital-first career, the connection with India was fun and made a huge difference in what the company was able to achieve,” he said.
Observations on India
During his travels and professional engagements, Gates observed the contrasts within India. “It was during that time that I was kind of learning, ‘Oh wow, India is such a study in contrast, first class in so many ways, but still a lot of poverty and challenges’,” he noted.
Critique of the Legal System
Despite his positive experiences, Gates also pointed out the inefficiencies in India’s legal system, particularly the delays in delivering justice due to the backlog of cases. Drawing comparisons between the US and Indian legal systems, he commented, “Believe me, the legal things done in the US won’t apply here. But, just imagine, if you could make everybody in the legal system four times more productive, that changes justice because right now the backlog is kind of nightmarish. And here, you know, comes a potential solution.”
Conclusion
Gates’ reflections on the ‘WTF is with Nikhil Kamath’ podcast offer a unique perspective on his professional and personal connections with India. His observations highlight both the strengths and challenges faced by the country, emphasizing the significant contributions of Indian talent to global enterprises like Microsoft.
