New Delhi, July 14: Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, cricketer Rahul Dravid and Infosys chief N R Narayana Murthy will now be promoting the cause of HIV as a part of the 22-member India Aids initiative board of Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation (BGMF). Making a beginning with much publicised 100 million dollar grant made by Microsoft chief Bill Gates last November, Gates Foundation will soon be rolling out its first national programme for HIV prevention by first week of August, Ashok Alexander, director, BGMF, told a news agency here today.

"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 health min will co-chair the board. Other members of the board include Azim Premji of Wipro, Vindi Banga of Hindustan Lever Ltd, K K Abraham of INP, D S Brar of Ranbaxy, Tarun Das of CII, Prof. N K Ganguly of Indian Council of Medical Research, Meenaskshi Dutta Ghosh of Naco.

Dr Helene Gayle of BGMF, Seattle, Anand Grover of lawyers collective, Smarjit Jana of care, journalist Bachi Karkaria, Sudha Murty, M S Ramachandran, chairman of IOC, Kapil Sibal, Dr Suniti Solomon, Yrgcare and Dr Kenneth Wind -Andersen UNAIDS are also a part of the board, he said. Bureau Report