Former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda has urged Microsoft chief Bill Gates to transform rural India by empowering farmers with its products and services.

Gowda came calling on Gates at Microsoft's new facility on airport road here late Friday with his wish list to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural India.

Dispelling his perceived image of being an IT-baiter, Gowda told Saturday that the world's largest software firm (Microsoft) should look at transforming rural India with its products and services by empowering the farmers to access information and markets for equitable growth.

"It was a very cordial meeting with Gates after a long time. I met him for the first time in Davos at the World Economic Summit eight-nine years ago and subsequently in Delhi as prime minister in March 1997.

"I complimented him and his wife (Melinda) for their philanthropic work in the health and social sectors the world over, especially in poorer countries.

"On the technology front, however, I told him his global firm should take up R&D projects to connect the rural masses with urban India and make its products and services affordable.

"They must replicate their success in business in the countryside for making India's socio-economic growth all inclusive," Gowda said.

He said the company should explore the secondary cities in the state for expanding its operations and develop its software products in the native language (Kannada) to meet local needs.

"Of late, there has been a misconception that I am anti-IT, as reported by sections of the media and remarked by some vested interests.

"My party Janata Dal-Secular and our coalition government are willing to extend whatever support we can for the growth of the IT sector in the state. But it should not be at the expense of our pro-poor and pro-rural policies," Gowda claimed.

Hailing Microsoft for including Bangalore in its expansion plan by setting up its development centre, an R&D facility and now its global technical support centre in the hi-city, Gowda said the company's commitment to its employees and shareholders should be extended to the society beyond the urban limits.

"It is this non-linear growth model that is needed in India so as to reach out the less-privileged sections of our society. If India has to shine, we need to have equitable and sustainable development of rural areas," he said.

Agreeing with Gowda's observations, Gates said he was inspired to come to India and Bangalore again because of the interest the former prime minister had shown in promoting IT in a big way.

Karnataka chief minister N Dharam Singh, who was also present on the occasion, requested Gates to extend financial support from the Melinda-Gates Foundation to the state's health insurance scheme (Yeshaswini) to thousands of farmers across the state.