Google to pump $10 billion in India, says Sundar Pichai; PM Modi’s pet scheme Digital India in focus

Via this investment, Google will help in enabling affordable access and information for every Indian, build new products and services to cater unique needs, and empower businesses, among other things.

Google has announced its ambitious plans for India with the US-based tech giant pledging to invest $10 billion in the country in the coming five to seven years, keeping Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet scheme Digital India in focus. Via this investment, Google will help in enabling affordable access and information for every Indian, build new products and services to cater unique needs, and empower businesses, among other things. “Excited to announce Google for India Digitisation Fund. Through it, we’ll invest Rs 75,000 crore or approximately $10 billion into India over next 5-7 years. We’ll do this through mix of equity investments, partnerships and operational infrastructure in ecosystem investments,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said on Monday at the sixth edition of Google for India event. This was the first time that the event was held virtually in the light of coronavirus pandemic.

Google’s latest announcement is in line with PM Modi’s vision for Digital India, the Indian-origin CEO of Google and Alphabet later tweeted. “As we make these investments, we look forward to working alongside Prime Minister Modi and the Indian government, as well as Indian businesses of all sizes to realize our shared vision for a Digital India,” he said. Further, the company said that the latest announcement bears a testimony to Google’s confidence in the future of India and its digital economy, an initiative which is very close to PM Modi.

Digital India is PM Modi-led BJP government’s flagship initiative which aims to transform India into a digital powerhouse by making the society digitally empowered. Various government ministries including Ministry of Electronics and IT are working under the umbrella scheme. Some of the initiatives under the scheme are Public Internet Access program, e-Governance, Broadband Highways and Information for All.