Bill Gates recently sparked controversy after referring to India as a “kind of laboratory to try things” during a podcast with Reid Hoffman. His comments, discussing topics like climate change, energy, global health, and education, went viral but were met with criticism from Indian commentators. Many took offense at his remark, accusing him of treating India as an experiment ground.
In the podcast, Gates said, “India is an example of a country where there are plenty of challenges, but health, nutrition, and education are improving. It’s stable enough and generating its own revenue, so in 20 years, people will be significantly better off. It’s a kind of laboratory to try things that, once proven, can be applied to other regions.”
He further emphasized that India hosts the largest number of pilot projects for his foundation.
The comment sparked backlash on social media, with one user writing, “India is a laboratory, and we Indians are guinea pigs for Bill Gates.” However, some defended Gates, dismissing the criticism as a conspiracy theory, particularly in response to accusations of vaccine experiments.
In a previous interview, Gates praised India’s efforts to combat malnutrition, giving the country high marks for its focus on improving nutritional indicators.
