New Delhi: Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has agreed to provide an assistance of $ 1 million for the Media Lab Asia project by government of India, besides extending $ 20 million for an e-learning initiative called "Shiksha".

Gates made the commitments during an hour-long meeting with Communications and IT Minister Pramod Mahajan.

According to an official spokesperson, Gates has agreed to give $ 1 million for Media Lab Asia and $ 20 million towards an e-learning project - Shiksha, for "training the trainers".

The commitment of $ 20 million is spread over a period of three to five years, sources said.

Mahajan had earlier explained the purpose and idea behind the Media Lab Asia project to Gates and expressed hope that with Microsoft extending assistance to it, more international fund would find way to the socio-economic project.

Under the Shiksha project, the Microsoft assistance of $ 20 million would involve training of 80,000 teachers along with 3.5 million students over a 3-5 year period.

The project would be co-ordinated by the department of IT.

Gates and Mahajan also discussed telecom growth in the country in the last two years, government's efforts in tackling the digital divide and the community information centre (CIC) projects in the North East, and e-governance, sources added.

PTI