Hyderabad: Microsoft chief Bill Gates said the charity work of his Foundation was not, in any way, connected to the setback received by Microsoft Corporation in the anti-trust case and pledged continued commitment to the global health and research programmes.

"Myself and my wife personally provided resources for this (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). It is completely independent and my success in Microsoft is not related to this," Gates said in a brief interaction with the media in Hyderabad.

Gates, who arrived in Hyderabad on November 13 night on the last leg of his India tour, said he had made a commitment 10 years ago to 'give back to the society'.

"I would have to wait till my 60s to do it. But because of the urgency (of the problems) I decided to it at a much early stage. This has no connection with my software activities," the most famous billionaire said when asked whether his foundation's charity work was meant to regain some of the sheen lost due to anti-trust case.

Visiting the cyber-savvy capital of Andhra Pradesh for the first time, Gates had a one-on-one meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at Jubilee Hall in Hyderabad and later participated in a round table discussion on immunisation services in the state.

He launched the second phase of the $ 25 million hepatitis 'b' vaccination project, being funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in the state and shared his vision of global healthcare and immunisation programmes at a meeting with a select gathering comprising policy makers, editors and industry representatives.

PTI