Sundar Pichai was handed over the Padma Bhushan award by India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, in San Francisco.
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai was on Friday conferred with the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours. The award was handed over to the business leader by India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, in San Francisco.
"Delighted to hand over Padma Bhushan to CEO @Google & Alphabet @sundarpichai in San Francisco. Sundar’s inspirational journey from #Madurai to Mountain View, strengthening India-US economic and technology ties, reaffirms Indian talent’s contribution to global innovation," Sandhu wrote on Twitter. Pichai was named for the civilian honour by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the 73rd Republic Day.
Pichai penned an emotional blog post upon receiving Padma Bhushan, also elaborating on Google’s plans for India.
“India is a part of me. I carry it with me wherever I go. (Unlike this beautiful award which I will keep somewhere safe),” Pichai said.
"I want to thank Ambassador Sandhu and Consul General Prasad for hosting me to receive the Padma Bhushan. I am deeply grateful to the Indian government and the people of India for this immense honour. It is incredibly meaningful to be honoured in this way by the country that shaped me," he said in the blog post.
“I was fortunate to grow up in a family that cherished learning and knowledge, with parents who sacrificed a lot to make sure I had opportunities to explore my interests. Every new technology that arrived at our doorstep made our lives better. And that experience put me on a path to Google, and the chance to help build technology that improves the lives of people all over the world,” Pichai added
He also opened up about the pace of technological advancement in India, saying, “It’s been so amazing to return to India many times over the years to see the rapid pace of technological change. Increasingly the innovations created in India are benefitting people around the world — from digital payments to voice technology. Businesses are seizing the opportunities for digital transformation, and more people have access to the internet than ever before, including in rural villages.”
Sundar Pichai also appreciated the Digital India vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also shed light on Google’s recent investments in India.
“We recently announced that we’ll be investing USD 10 billion in India’s digital future, working to enable more affordable internet access, building products for India’s unique needs, helping businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation, and using AI to tackle big societal challenges," he wrote.
He enumerated Google’s initiatives in India, which include skilling over 1 million women and 55,000 teachers.
"That’s why I continue to be so optimistic about technology, and why I believe India can and must continue to lead," Pichai added.
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(With inputs from ANI)
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 "Sundar Pichai Padma Bhushan")
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