Bill Gates says India is a 'laboratory to try things', sparks outrage on social media. Viral video

Bill Gates has visited India several times.

Former Microsoft CEO and philanthropist Bill Gates referred to India as a "kind of laboratory to try things" during a podcast with entrepreneur Reid Hoffman. Gates, who visited India earlier this year to advance projects under the Gates Foundation, highlighted the country’s progress in health, nutrition, and education while predicting a “dramatic” transformation in the next two decades.

Gates stated, “India is an example of a country where there’s plenty of things that are difficult – the health, nutrition, education is improving, and they are stable enough and generating their own government revenue enough that it’s very likely that 20 years from now people will be dramatically better off. It’s kind of a laboratory to try things that then when you prove them out in India, you can take to other places.”

“And so our biggest non-US office for the Foundation is in India and the most number of pilot roll out things we’re doing anywhere in the world are with partners in India,” he added.

Gates also described India as a vibrant, yet challenging environment. “If you go there and you have never been, you would think this is a chaotic place. You are not used to so many levels of income on the street at the same time, but you will get a sense of the vibrancy,” he said during the podcast.

This characterisation has drawn both support and criticism, particularly on social media, where a video of the remarks went viral. Some users interpreted Gates’ comments as demeaning to India’s sovereignty and self-reliance.

One post on X (formerly Twitter) claimed, “India is a laboratory, and we Indians are guinea pigs for Bill Gates. This person has managed everyone from the Government to opposition parties to the media. His office operates here without FCRA, and our education system has made him a hero!”

India is a laboratory, and we Indians are Guinea Pigs for Bill GatesThis person has managed everyone from the Government to opposition parties to the mediaHis office operates here without FCRA, and our education system has made him a hero!I don't know when we will wake up! pic.twitter.com/dxuCvQ44gg Vijay Patel (@vijaygajera) December 2, 2024

An X user remarked, “What exactly do you mean by us being made into guinea pigs? Pilots are run all the time. It may be in the context of new medicines, new vaccines, or new development initiatives. You take a small subset of the population, in a restricted geographic area, and test your ideas.”

Another believed that Gates’ comments have been misunderstood. “After Murthy, Gates is on the receiving end from left and right. He was talking about welfare programs, not medicines.”

Others noted that India’s complexity makes it a fertile ground for initiatives with global applicability. “India is a complex country, and if any human development program is successful here, there is a good chance it will succeed in many other places,” one commenter added.

The Gates Foundation maintains its largest non-US office in India and collaborates extensively with Indian partners to pilot welfare programs.