Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist keen to help achieve Digital India
7 Jan 2015 12:01 AM GMT
Google's Chief Internet Evangelist Vinton Cerf on Tuesday discussed with Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad the role the US-based tech giant can play in the government's Digital India programme.
They also discussed ways to increase Internet penetration in the country.
"It is in a very early stage of discussion. Google is interested in being helpful. We have some ideas. We want to share with them (government) those ideas to find out which of them makes sense. May be, they will have better ideas than us," Cerf told reporters on the sidelines of a Ficci event. "It is very clear that private sector is going to have to play a major role, but it won't work unless basic infrastructure that government proposes to bring in is out into place," he said. According to sources, the discussions revolved around increasing Internet penetration in the country, helping small and medium businesses harness its potential and bringing more women online.
They added that Google is also keen on playing a larger role in the government's Digital India initiative.
In August last year, the government approved an umbrella programme, Digital India, comprising various projects worth over Rs 1 lakh crore to transform the country into a digitally empowered knowledge economy. The programme includes projects that aim to ensure that government services are available to citizens electronically and people get benefit of the latest information and communication technology.
Larry Page pips Ma, Zuckerberg to bag businessperson of the year title
Google’s Larry Page has emerged as the ‘business person of the year’ for 2014, edging past the likes of Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, according to Fortune magazine.
Page, who is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder of Google, came on top in the 20 global corporate leaders’ list compiled on the basis of various factors including company’s performance, leadership style and total shareholder returns, the magazine said while bringing out its list. Apart from Jack Ma and Zuckerberg, others in the race included Apple’s Tim Cook and fast food chain Chipotle co-CEOs — Montgomery Moran and Steve Ells — and Fedex chairman & CEO Fred Smith.
Besides, five women have made the cut to the top 20 list. Interestingly, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who led Fortune list in 2012, failed to make in to the top 20 list.
As Google’s core business continues to thrive, Page, who topped the list, is making “huge bets on new technology -ingestible nanoparticles, balloons that beam down broadband- that could define the future,” the magazine noted. Page and his company have packed a lot of evolution into just over 15 years of existence, it added.
The women contenders were Ultra Beauty CEO Mary Dillon, ITT CEO and President Denise Ramos, TJX Cos CEO Carol Meyrotwiz, Theranos Founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes and Williams-Sonoma President and CEO Laura Alber.
The list is based on various parameters like financial results of the company including 12-month and three year growth in profits and revenues, company’s stock performance and total shareholder returns over the same periods. Besides, several non-financial elements like business influence, leadership style, strategic initiatives played a part in evaluation.
They also discussed ways to increase Internet penetration in the country.
"It is in a very early stage of discussion. Google is interested in being helpful. We have some ideas. We want to share with them (government) those ideas to find out which of them makes sense. May be, they will have better ideas than us," Cerf told reporters on the sidelines of a Ficci event. "It is very clear that private sector is going to have to play a major role, but it won't work unless basic infrastructure that government proposes to bring in is out into place," he said. According to sources, the discussions revolved around increasing Internet penetration in the country, helping small and medium businesses harness its potential and bringing more women online.
They added that Google is also keen on playing a larger role in the government's Digital India initiative.
In August last year, the government approved an umbrella programme, Digital India, comprising various projects worth over Rs 1 lakh crore to transform the country into a digitally empowered knowledge economy. The programme includes projects that aim to ensure that government services are available to citizens electronically and people get benefit of the latest information and communication technology.
Larry Page pips Ma, Zuckerberg to bag businessperson of the year title
Google’s Larry Page has emerged as the ‘business person of the year’ for 2014, edging past the likes of Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, according to Fortune magazine.
Page, who is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder of Google, came on top in the 20 global corporate leaders’ list compiled on the basis of various factors including company’s performance, leadership style and total shareholder returns, the magazine said while bringing out its list. Apart from Jack Ma and Zuckerberg, others in the race included Apple’s Tim Cook and fast food chain Chipotle co-CEOs — Montgomery Moran and Steve Ells — and Fedex chairman & CEO Fred Smith.
Besides, five women have made the cut to the top 20 list. Interestingly, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who led Fortune list in 2012, failed to make in to the top 20 list.
As Google’s core business continues to thrive, Page, who topped the list, is making “huge bets on new technology -ingestible nanoparticles, balloons that beam down broadband- that could define the future,” the magazine noted. Page and his company have packed a lot of evolution into just over 15 years of existence, it added.
The women contenders were Ultra Beauty CEO Mary Dillon, ITT CEO and President Denise Ramos, TJX Cos CEO Carol Meyrotwiz, Theranos Founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes and Williams-Sonoma President and CEO Laura Alber.
The list is based on various parameters like financial results of the company including 12-month and three year growth in profits and revenues, company’s stock performance and total shareholder returns over the same periods. Besides, several non-financial elements like business influence, leadership style, strategic initiatives played a part in evaluation.
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