As he received the prestigious Padma Bhushan award from the Indian envoy to the US, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said, “India is a part of me and I carry it with me wherever I go.” The Indian-American was awarded the Padma Bhushan for 2022 in the Trade and Industry category. The Madurai-born Pichai was named one of the 17 awardees earlier this year.
“I am deeply grateful to the Indian government and the people of India for this immense honour. It is incredibly meaningful to be honoured in this way by the country that shaped me,” the 50-year-old said while accepting the award from India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
Sandhu said that Pichai represented the limitless possibilities of technology for transformation. “He has been making commendable efforts towards making digital tools, and skills accessible to across various segments of the society in different parts of the globe,” he said.
“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,” Pichai said, adding, “Prime Minister Modi’s Digital India vision has certainly been an accelerator for that progress and I’m proud that Google continues to invest in India, partnering with governments, businesses, and communities over two transformative decades.”
Google this year added 24 new languages to its translation service using a new advancement in machine learning. Eight of them are languages native to India.
“It means so much to see how people can access information and knowledge in their preferred language, and see the world open up to them in new ways. That’s why I continue to be so optimistic about technology, and why I believe India can and must continue to lead,” he said.
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