‘I grew up in a middle-class family’: Google CEO Sundar Pichai explains how his parents impacted Google

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has been a poster boy for many Indian citizens. He was raised in Chennai, studied from IIT Kharagpur and eventually moved to USA to join Google. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Pichai talked about his childhood and how it not only impacted his work ethics but also the entire company since he took on the role of CEO in 2015.  

He said, “My parent always emphasised learning and knowledge and it is what in some ways with its mission. It always resonated very deeply within me. I felt this quest for learning and knowledge, it is also what this company is about too.”

He also explained why he never takes technology for granted. He reminisced about his days as a school-going kid when he first experienced the impact of a phone. He also talks about his transition from a normal cycle without gears to one that did and the impact it had. 

“I grew up in a middle-class family. I perceived our lives through the arrival of gadgets. We waited five years for a telephone, it was a rotary phone. But when it came to our home, it changed our lives. I remember getting our first television and suddenly being able to watch sports.”

He added, “I used to bike a long way to school, there was no gear in the bike and I had to go uphill.  After many years I got a bike with gears and I’m like Wow! What a dramatic difference. I never took technology for granted. I’ve always been optimistic about how technology can make a difference.”

Pichai also talked about how Google Search is still relevant in the age of AI. Since AI is gradually trying to replace search engines like Google, Pichai claimed there is space for both. Since a lot of people want a quick search and also some follow-up information.