Smriti Irani on Bill Gates' ‘adventures’: From Dolly to chaiwala who became PM

Smriti Irani said she is grategul for Bill Gates' sense of adventure.

Updated on: Feb 29, 2024, 21:08:28 IST

By HT News Desk

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As internet sensation Nagpur's Dolly Chaiwala served his special tea to Bill Gates, Union minister Smriti Irani praised Bill Gates' sense of adventure and said it is only in India that Bill Gates can make khichdi and then eat it; he can meet someone who makes tea and then a chaiwala who became the prime minister. Smriti Irani and Bill Gates were present at an event on Thursday to cartoons on awareness of nutrition. Last year when Bill Gates came to India, he tried his hands at cooking millet khichdi -- a reference that Smriti Irani made in her speech. It was in his 2023 trip that he met Narendra Modi as well.

Bill Gates posted a video of having a cup of chai with Nagpur's famous Dolly Chaiwala. (PTI)

In the viral video featuring Dolly Chaiwala and Bill Gates, the former CEO of Microsoft asked for 'one chai please' from Dolly Chaiwala. As Dolly Chaiwala with all his wares lighted on the gas and proceeded to make a cup of milk tea in the video, Bill Gates captioned it: "In India, you can find innovation everywhere you turn -- even in the preparation of a simple cup of tea!". The video also used the 'chai pe charcha' phrase.

The video was shot in Hyderabad where Bill Gates was on that day. Dolly Chaiwala said he was not at all aware that he made tea for Bill Gates. He said he thought he was just a foreigner for whom he was called to Hyderabad. "Now I want to make tea for Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Dolly Chaiwala said. Dolly said he did not speak to Bill Gates but he must have loved his tea. "He said 'wow' after having the tea," Dolly said.

On Thursday, Bill Gates was at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He also has an invitation to attend Anant Ambani's pre-wedding bash in Gujarat's Jamnagar.

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