Bill Gates drops by during Narendra Modi-Francois Hollande meeting

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a surprise visitor today when Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates dropped by during his bilateral with French President Francois Hollande.

Gates, who was not present at the meeting Modi had with technology leaders in San Jose over the weekend, dropped in while the Prime Minister was meeting Hollande at the UN.

"Look who dropped by! Missed in Silicon Valley, the original tech entrepreneur @BillGates says hello to PM & President," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted along with pictures of Modi, Hollande and Gates engaged in discussions.

The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the largest private foundation in the world, has a significant presence in India.

The foundation began its work in India a decade ago with an initiative to curtail the spread of HIV. Since then, its scope in India has expanded tremendously to include maternal and child health, health and nutrition services, vaccines and routine immunisation, family planning, agricultural development, sanitation, and the control of infectious diseases.