Bill Gates, Buffett ask 70 rich Indians: Give more

Mar 25, 2011 - Rashme Sehgal |

Age Correspondent

New Delhi

Microsoft’s Bill Gates, the world’s second richest man, and Warren Buffett, the third richest, sat down here Thursday even-ing with 70 of India’s richest individuals, including Azim Premji, Sunil Mittal and Shiv Nadar, asking them to plough back a good chunk of their wealth to the poor by helping in education, health and other schemes. In a 90-minute interaction that was chaired by Rohini Nilekani, Melinda Gates, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation co-founder, noted that 12 years ago when she and her husband started their foundation work globally, working in partnership with different organisations, 20 million children died every year from a variety of diseases. “The number is down to eight million today. That is the miracle of vaccine technology. And due to the polio vaccine, polio is close to eradication in India.”
Both Mr Gates and Mr Buffett, who heads Berk-shire Hathaway, described the interaction with India’s wealthiest in glowing ter-ms. “India will see a huge increase in philanthropy in the next decade. We have drawn strength and conviction from our talks.”

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