YouTube plays a big role in Sundar Pichai\'s life

NEW DELHI: It's only during special events that the world can get a short glimpse into top boss Sundar Pichai's personal life. During his keynote address at the sixth edition of 'Google for India' event on Monday, the Google CEO opened up about the role that YouTube plays in his daily life.

From making a variety of cuisines during the lockdown to taking a trip down the memory lane, Pichai has been using YouTube extensively. Over the last few weeks, he said that has been referring various YouTube videos to prepare dishes like paneer makhani or pizza with his children.

The tech boss, who turned 48 yesterday, also shared a cherished childhood memory. "Every evening, we were drawn to the TV by Doordarshan's special rendition of 'Saare Jahaan Se Accha'," he reminisced. He was trying to explain to his colleagues why this memory was special to him, but couldn't. In the end , he gave up and played it on the video-streaming app.

He further stressed that developing technology has been a personal cause for him as it has always provided a window to the world outside his own when he was young.

Citing challenges faced by many people during the pandemic, the Alphabet CEO said that the ability to be online has been a lifeline to parents and students learning to stay updated, and small businesses looking to stay afloat.

He admired how technology in India has changed at a rapid pace over his past few visits. "When I was young, every tech brought new opportunity to learn and grow. But, I always had to wait for it to arrive from some place else. Today, people in India don't have to wait for it to arrive anymore," he mentioned.

​Sanjay Gupta, Country Head & VP, Google India ​said that India has always been a strategic and important focus for Google.Agencies
Sanjay Gupta, Country Head & VP, Google India said that India has always been a strategic and important focus for Google.

India's tech leap of faith
The coronavirus pandemic has supercharged the option of digital tools. Digital payments enabled various families across India to access good and services during the lockdown.

While Pichai's grandmother misses haggling over the price of her veggies in person, the 48-year-old tech head said that India is setting the global standard on how to digitise and is also helping Google build a global product.

The search engine giant joined India's digitisation journey in 2004, when its first office opened in Hyderabad and Bangalore. On Monday, Pichai announced an investment of Rs 75,000 crore (approximately $10 billion) in India over the next five-seven years through 'Google for India Digitization Fund'. He asserted that the latest move is a reflection of the company's confidence in future of India and its digital economy.

He said that the investments will focus on four key areas of India's digitisation.

1. Affordable access and information to every Indian in their own language
2. Building new products and services relevant to India's unique needs
3. Empowering businesses as they continue to embark on their digital transformation
4. Leveraging technology and Artificial Intelligence for social good in areas like health, education and agriculture

Richest Indian CEOs: These Bosses Beat Google Head Pichai, Nadella; 2 Woman Among Top 10

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Born Rich

Famous last names are a constant feature on rich lists. But in this age of the superstar CEO, even non-promoter names can be spotted on the list of the wealthiest. The IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2019 has compiled the names of the ‘richest non-promoter Indians.’In this top 10 list, only one name totes resident Indian tag. The other nine are CEOs of Indian-origin, heading companies in the US.