NEW DELHI:

co-founder

on Wednesday praised Prime Minister

and gave a thumbs-up to the government’s efforts to flatten the curve of the

pandemic.

“We commend your leadership and the proactive measures you and your government have taken to flatten the curve of the

infection rate in India,” Gates said in a letter to Modi.

The billionaire said he was “grateful to see that you’re seeking to balance public health imperatives with the need to ensure adequate social protection for all Indians”.

He said he was glad to note that the Indian government was “fully utilising its exceptional digital capabilities in its Covid-19 response” and had launched the Aarogya Setu app for coronavirus tracking, contact tracing and to connect people to health services.

Gates added that measures like “adopting a national lockdown, expanding focused testing to identify hotspots for isolation, quarantining and care, and significantly increasing health expenditures to strengthen the health system response and promote R&D and digital innovation” would go a long way in flattening the curve of the infection.