“There is tremendous excitement among Googlers, Indians in <g data-gr-id="23">US</g> for PM Modi’s visit,” Pichai said, welcoming Modi to Silicon Valley.
“It is an honour to welcome PM Narendra Modi to Silicon Valley this weekend,” the 43-year-old IIT alumnus said, adding “I hope PM Modi’s visit will energise people in the Silicon Valley.” “The bond between India and the Silicon Valley is strong. India has long been an exporter of talent to tech companies. The products built by Indian graduates from IIT and other institutions have helped revolutionise the world. But it is India that’s now undergoing its own revolution,” he said, adding Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Digital India’ campaign is central to this revolution. Lauding Digital India initiative, Pichai said, “This will get people in rural areas online. Low cost of bandwidth, offline strategy, affordable phones will connect more people.”
“It focuses on connecting the 1.2 billion people in India. It has received tremendous support in India and in Silicon Valley,” Pichai, who became the CEO of the internet search giant in August, said. He said Google will play its part in the programme. “There is no more important role for tech companies today than helping to connect the next billion users,” said Pichai. “Some of the initiatives we are working on...making our products work on low bandwidth, and even offline. Make the web accessible in <g data-gr-id="31">indic</g> languages, providing <g data-gr-id="26">low cost</g> Chromebooks to Indian schools and investing in core infrastructure and affordable smartphones with Android One,” he said.
During his visit to Silicon Valley, Modi is scheduled to meet Pichai, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook, among others.
India exports talent, undergoing own revolution: Sundar
Sundar Pichai, CEO of technology giant Google, on Thursday said India has long been an exporter of talent to technology <g data-gr-id="118">companies,</g> but is now undergoing its own revolution that will have great benefits for the 1.2 billion people in the country. Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Silicon Valley, the India-born CEO said there is tremendous excitement for his visit among all Googlers and the entire Indian community.
“The bond between India and the Silicon Valley is strong. India has long been an exporter of talent to tech companies. “The products built by Indian graduates from IIT and other institutions have helped revolutionise the world. But it is India that s now undergoing its own revolution,” he said in a YouTube video. He saw great benefits for everyone in the country as “many people will come online for the first time, especially those in rural areas and Indic language speakers”.
It will also help girls learn new skills and have successful careers, power education of the next generation and help businesses of all sizes to find new customers, Pichai said.
“We’re looking forward to your remarks at the SAP Centre in San Jose, and also when you come to Google... We hope your visit will energise people in the Valley, excite Indians all across the country, and renew and strengthen our partnership,” he said.
During his US visit, Modi is also scheduled to meet Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and address a <g data-gr-id="124">townhall</g> question and answer session on September 27 at the company’s headquarters in California. He is expected to meet Apple CEO Tim Cook and electric carmaker Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, among others.
Modi is addressing the India-US Startup <g data-gr-id="114">Konnect</g> and share his vision on ‘Start up India, Stand up India’ to be hosted by Indian IT industry body Nasscom, TiE Silicon Valley, and IIM Ahmedabad’s CIIE India. In the next few years, about 50 million women and 20 million small businesses are expected to get online for the first time, he said. “Prime Minister Modi s Digital India vision is central to this revolution. It focuses on connecting the 1.2 billion people in India. It has received tremendous support in India and in Silicon Valley,” Pichai said.
Highlighting the role played by Google, Pichai said the <g data-gr-id="193">company as well as many others around the world</g> are passionate about playing their part. “Some of our initiatives include making our products work on low bandwidth and even offline, making the Web accessible in Indic language, providing low-cost Chromebooks in Indian schools, investing in core infrastructure and affordable smartphone with Android One,” he said.
PM’s Ireland trip leads to NIIT unit
PM Modi’s visit to Ireland has been followed up by NIIT announcing a new delivery centre to be set up here. The Gurgaon-based IT learning and training institute said it will establish a new European Delivery Centre in Dublin. “Europe is a growing market for NIIT s Corporate Learning Group. Ireland was our country of choice for its conducive business environment, strategic location, multilingual creative and technical talent and investment potential,” said NIIT President (Corporate Learning Group) <g data-gr-id="203">Sapnesh</g> Lalla.