BackWhat are Google's plans for India? CEO Sundar Pichai explains
Pichai said that Google is investing in foundational infrastructure and that a lot of its services would allow people to export outside of India
PremiumWe want to support companies in India to solve newer things, Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Friday, adding that it is an important and exciting time in India.
Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit 2021, Pichai said that it is heartening to see the number of startups proving themselves on a global stage and unicorns getting created.
"For us, we want to help in a few ways. Last year, we committed USD 10 billion to the India Digitisation Fund and as part of that, we want to support companies in India, solving newer things, we want to provide them with AI and technologies and platforms so that they can scale up their ideas and reach more users," he said.
Pichai added that the company is investing in foundational infrastructure and that a lot of its services would allow people to export outside of India.
“I view India as a place where over time, we will be able to build things and take it globally. The first example of that, for us was Google Pay...we invested in Google Pay, and the foundation of that app and experience is what is making its way to our other markets around the world," said the Google chief.
And so I'm excited about building for India first, and also building in India to solve problems globally as well," he added.
He said the tech giant remains committed to playing a strong enabling role in supporting growth of the Indian market through various efforts across cloud, AI and Android.
Further, Pichai mentioned that even as tech has scaled up and is touching people's lives in a deeper way, it is important to have some regulations governing it too.
"And I think it's a natural part of the process, it makes sense to me that countries think about the concerns of its own citizens and want regulations to make sure it works well for their people," Pichai said.
He added that it's important to also understand that free and open internet has helped connect the world and create opportunities.
He stated that balance is important and as a large company, Google deals with many regulatory systems in different countries.
"I view it as an important role for Google to be local, and engage in every country with the best interest of the country too...we are deeply committed to engaging in every country locally, complying with local laws," Pichai said.
Asked about his own future with Google, Pichai said, “It’s a privilege to be leading a company which has a chance to impact the lives of so many people. I get a lot of joy and energy from it."
“Just last conversation around climate change and the chance for Google to make a lasting impact there alone gets me up every morning and I couldn’t be more excited by it," he added.
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