Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000 by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, operates as the world's largest private charitable organisation. Based in Seattle, Washington, it directs its efforts toward reducing global poverty, improving health outcomes, broadening educational access, and advancing financial inclusion. In India, the foundation maintains an office in New Delhi that coordinates its activities with government bodies, research institutions, and nonprofits across the country.

As a strategic grantmaker, the foundation provides funding to organisations, governments, and researchers rather than investing in startups for equity returns. Its work in India focuses on designing and scaling public health interventions, digital payment systems, and agricultural productivity programmes in partnership with central and state governments. The foundation also supports Indian research institutions and social enterprises developing innovations suited for large-scale adoption.

Relevant programmes for Indian innovators include Grand Challenges India, run with the Department of Biotechnology, which funds ideas addressing health and development issues. The foundation's financial services for the poor programme has contributed to India's digital payments infrastructure, while its agricultural development programme funds work in crop science, soil health, and smallholder productivity. Vaccine development, disease surveillance, and nutrition programmes receive support across Indian states, with the India Country Office offering technical assistance to government initiatives at national and state levels.