Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai was awarded the 2022 Padma Bhushan – India’s third highest civilian award – for the year 2022 in the Business and Industry category in the presence of his close family members in San Francisco on Friday. Presenting the award to Pichai, India’s ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, said his “inspirational journey reaffirms the contribution of Indian talent to global innovation”.
“We are delighted to present the Padma Bhushan to Google CEO Sundar Pichai in San Francisco. His inspiring journey from Madurai to Mountain View, strengthening Indo-US economic and technological ties, reaffirms the contribution of Indian talent to global innovation,” Sandhu tweeted. After receiving the prestigious award, Pichai said on his blog that India is part of it.
“India is a part of me and I carry it with me wherever I go. I was fortunate to grow up in a family that valued learning and knowledge, with parents who sacrificed a lot to make sure I had the opportunity to explore my interests,” he said. Pichai added, “I am deeply grateful to the Government of India and the people of India for this tremendous honour. It is incredibly meaningful to be honored in this way by the country that shaped me.”
Pichai also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a technology that brings together the trinity of speed, simplicity and service. “We recently announced that we will invest $10 billion in India’s digital future, working to make the Internet more accessible, building products for India’s unique needs, helping businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation, and using AI to solve big societal problems . challenges,” said Google’s CEO. “I look forward to continuing the great partnership between Google and India as we work together to bring the benefits of technology to more people,” added Pichai.
