Bill Gates, chief architect of Microsoft Corporation and the world's richest man, who will be in India on Tuesday beginning a four-day visit, is expected to boost his company's investment plans in the country, besides giving a fillip to its R&D activities.

Gates, on his fourth visit to the country, will call on the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Union Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran during the visit apart from meeting other industrial leaders.

He will be in Chennai on December 8 and in Bangalore on the following day.

The Microsoft chief and his wife Melinda will also review the progress of his $200 million HIV/AIDS initiative in the country.

Gates is most likely to share his IT vision while interacting with high government officials, industry associations, business leaders, academicians, and policy makers.

The Microsoft chairman will also attend a two-day forum in the capital, billed as one of he important leg of the tour. The forum, called 'Leading in a connected world,' brings together government leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region who represent more than half of the world's population and-in the near future-more than half of the world's GDP.

Moving into a global economic leadership role presents great opportunities and challenges for leaders across the region. While information and communication technologies will play a fundamental role in regional innovation and development, leaders will need to continue formulating successful strategies in key areas relating to governance, education and the transition to the knowledge economy in order to remain competitive.

The forum will present keynote speakers and interactive panel discussions that will address some of the most challenging and complex issues faced by policy makers today.

The programme would open with Gerri Elliott, corporate vice-president, worldwide public sector, Microsoft Corporation making his inaugural on Tuesday morning.

This would be followed by a keynote presentation by the Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal.

Other participants include Mari Pangestu, minister of industry and trade, Indonesia; Nagy Hanna, international consultant and co-director, E-leadership Academy, the University of Maryland; Linda and Y Yueh, fellow in economics, Pembroke College, University of Oxford; member, management committee, Asia Research Centre, London School of Economics.

As governments across Asia Pacific strive to harness opportunities and meet the social and economic challenges of the 21st century, they are focused on promoting job growth and skills training, fostering innovation and the development of local industries, and enhancing global competitiveness.

This track on December 6 will explore the critical success factors for effective development strategies in a digital world- including the role of information and communication technologies as engines of the knowledge economy, key policy considerations, and the importance of public/private partnerships.

The knowledge economy or e-development includes coherent policy framework and effective institutional leadership, dynamic information infrastructure and affordable access, vibrant local ICT industries/software services and their use for private sector development, and application of ICT to government, governance and education.

Track a focuses on the first three components and tracks B&C on applications to enhance governance and education.

The ICT revolution has also significantly changed how business is done, widening economic opportunities and breaking down barriers to economic integration - but the proliferation of bilateral, regional and global trading relationships has created the need for a fresh look at the rules governing international trade.

Another by-product of the digital transformation is a changing threat environment, as new forms of computer-related crime threaten economic and national security and global stability, prompting governments to explore opportunities and mechanisms for enhanced intergovernmental and public/private sector collaboration.

Sam Pitroda, chairman, National Knowledge Commission, and the man behind the country's IT revolution, will also make a presentation.

On Wednesday, Timothy Chen, corporate vice president and CEO, Greater China region, Microsoft Corporation, will make a presentation.