Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, Infosys chairman N R Narayana Murthy  and cricketer Rahul Dravid will now be promoting the cause of HIV prevention as part of the 22-member India Aids Initiative Board of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Making a beginning with a much publicised $100-million grant made by Microsoft chief Bill Gates last November, Gates Foundation will soon be rolling out its first national programme for HIV prevention by the first week of August, Ashok Alexander, director, BGMF, said in New Delhi on Monday.

The Bill Gates Visit

"Formation of the board is a first step towards rolling of the initiative," he said and added that Rajat Gupta of McKinsey and J V R Prasada Rao from the health ministry will co-chair the board.

Other members of the board include:

• Azim Premji, chairman, Wipro;
• Vindi Banga, chairman, Hindustan Lever Ltd,
• K K Abraham of INP+,
• D S Brar, CEO and MD, Ranbaxy,
• Tarun Das, director, Confederation of Indian Industry,
• N K Ganguly, director general, Indian Council of Medical Research,
• Meenaskshi Dutta Ghosh,director, NACO,
• Dr Helene Gayle of BGMF, Seattle,
• Anand Grover of Lawyers Collective,
• Smarjit Jana of Care,
• Bachi Karkaria, journalist,
• Sudha Murthy (wife of Narayana Murthy),
• M S Ramachandran, chairman, IOC,
• Kapil Sibal, Member of Rajya Sabha,
• Suniti Solomon, director, YRG Care, and
• Dr Kenneth Wind –Andersen, UNAIDS are also a part of the board, he said.