Google CEO Sundar Pichai conferred the prestigious Padma Bhushan
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has been conferred the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, in the Trade and Industry category. The prestigious award was handed over to him by India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, in San Francisco. Pichai said that India was a part of him and he carried it with him wherever he went, as he received the laurel.
Why does this story matter?
India is absolutely dominating the 21st century. The top bosses of major conglomerates worldwide are now Indians or of Indian origin. Sundar Pichai's journey from a simple boy in Madurai to the CEO of one of the world's biggest tech giants is an inspiration for us all. The Padma Bhushan only celebrates this extraordinary achievement and reaffirms "Indian talent's contribution to global innovation."
'I was shaped by India'
A grateful Pichai mentioned in his blog, that he was fortunate to have parents who "cherished learning and knowledge" and made sure he had opportunities to explore his interests. "I am deeply grateful to the Indian government and the people of India for this immense honor. It is incredibly meaningful to be honored in this way by the country that shaped me," he added.
Google will invest $10 billion in India's digital ecosystem
Pichai also said that Google would continue its partnership with India, to bring the benefits of technology to the masses. "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 needs, helping businesses in their digital transformation, and using AI to tackle big societal challenges," Google's top boss added.
The Indian ambassador called Pichai's journey "inspirational"
A brief history of the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan instituted on January 2, 1954, is India's third-highest civilian award, preceded by Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan. The laurel is given for "distinguished service of a high order...without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex." Pichai is one of 17 awardees this year.
