Seattle/New York, Aug 17: India’s ingenuity, from making safe vaccines to its digital public infrastructure, is helping not only Indians but the world, Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates flagged off the first India Day celebration. in the Seattle area.
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Gates, Chairman of the Gates Foundation, flagged off the first India Day celebrations in the Greater Seattle area as the guest of honor at the Consulate General of India in Seattle on the occasion of India’s 78th Independence Day.
In a press release issued by the Seattle embassy on Friday, Gates addressed more than 2,000 members of the Indian-American community, describing India as a „global leader with breakthrough innovations in fields such as technology, agriculture and healthcare.”
„From developing safe low-cost vaccines to the remarkable leadership shown by diaspora Indians to India’s digital public infrastructure – Gates asserted that India’s ingenuity is helping not only Indians, but the entire world. Countries in the Global South are using India’s experience to build their own DPI systems”.
In a post on social media platform Instagram, Gates said it was „an honor” to participate in the first India Day celebration at the Seattle embassy along with senior government officials and Indian diaspora.
“India is a global leader with breakthrough innovations in fields like technology, agriculture and health that save and improve lives. It is an honor to collaborate with the Indian government, philanthropists, private sector, non-profit organizations and the Indian American community. Happy Independence Day to all Indians!” In the post, he targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar.
Gates also posted photos of the celebration on Instagram. Wearing a scarf in the colors of the Indian tricolor, Gates is flanked by India’s ambassador in Seattle, Prakash Gupta, and other officials.
The embassy, in a post on X, thanked Gates for flagging off the first India Day celebrations in the Greater Seattle area.
“I deeply appreciate the participation of Congresswomen Suzanne Kay Delbein and Kim Schrier and Congressman Adam Smith, along with Washington Lt. Governor Denny Heck and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs.
„We also thank the mayors of Bellevue, Tacoma, Kent, Auburn, Renton, Seadog, Snoqualmie and Mercer Island for coming together in support of the Indian community,” the embassy said.
For the first time, the Independence Day celebration in the Greater Seattle area was showcased across all states and territories of India with floats and cultural programs celebrating the theme of unity in diversity. Each of the floats was put together by prominent leaders of the Indian American community and released to reflect some important aspect of India’s rich cultural heritage.
Also, in a special gesture, five separate official proclamations were issued by the governments/city councils of King County, Bellevue City (Washington), Portland (Oregon), Hillsboro (Oregon), Tigard (Oregon) in honor of India Day celebrations.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon also sent a special greeting on India’s 78th Independence Day.
“India’s achievements in education, health and economic development are worth celebrating. The state of Wyoming has many cultural and economic ties to India, including more than 10,000 Indian-Americans living in the state,” Gordon said.
Gordon said Wyoming is excited about the opening of the new Indian consulate in Seattle.
„We look forward to continuing to build partnerships to advance trade, investment, tourism, education and friendship,” he said.
Some iconic buildings in Seattle and Bellevue will be lit up in shades of the Indian tricolor to mark the celebrations.
Congresswoman Suzanne Delfin, Congressman Kim Shrier, Congressman Adam Smith, Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson, Commander of the US First Corps in the Pacific Northwest, Rear Admiral Mark Tsukato, Commander of the Fleet Northwest, Washington Lt. Governor Denny Heck and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Steve Gonzalez.
From the city leadership, the mayors of Bellevue, Tacoma, Kent, Auburn, Renton, Seadog, Snoqualmie and Mercer Island also joined the India Day celebrations.
India’s sixth and newest mission in the US, the embassy in Seattle, became operational earlier this year and serves the US states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.
„The opening of the Consulate General of India in Seattle is a reflection of the Government of India’s strong commitment to deepening India’s ties with the Pacific Northwest states of the United States,” the embassy said.
Gupta, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Beijing, Shanghai, New York and Jakarta, heads the First Mission of the Indian Embassy in Seattle.
India also has embassies in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco. (agencies)