New Delhi, July 24 - Terming the unique identity project as a 'great initiative', Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates Friday said the software giant wanted to partner with India in the ambitious project that will give a unique identity number to each of its citizens.

'Microsoft wants to be a part of the unique identification project,' Gates told a conference organised by the IT industry lobby, National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).

'I am very excited about the project. It is a great initiative. We need to make sure that every data is accurate. From a mobile phone number to anything,' he said.

Gates added that he would meet Nandan Nilekani, who heads the Unique Identification Authority of India, Friday night to discuss the details of the project.

Gates is in Delhi to receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development on behalf of the Gates Foundation.