In a significant roundtable meeting held in New York on September 23, Google CEO Sundar Pichai commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “clear vision” for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into key sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture, aimed at transforming the nation for the benefit of its citizens.
Pichai’s remarks came after a collaborative session at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, where leading executives from top U.S.-based tech firms gathered to discuss the future of AI in India. During the conference, PM Modi emphasized the potential of AI to drive change and enhance the quality of life for the Indian populace, challenging the CEOs present to elevate their efforts.
“The PM has been focused on transforming India. It is Digital India vision. He pushed us to continue making in India, designing in India. We are proud to now make our Pixel phones manufactured in India,” Pichai noted. He highlighted the Prime Minister’s commitment to leveraging AI for substantial advancements in various fields, saying, “He is really thinking about how AI can transform India in a way that benefits the people of India.”
Pichai revealed that PM Modi urged tech leaders to “think about applications in healthcare, education, agriculture,” as well as the necessary infrastructure to support these innovations, including data centers and energy solutions. The Google CEO stressed the importance of investing robustly in AI to ensure that its benefits reach all layers of society, saying, “We are robustly investing in AI in India and we look forward to doing more.”
He further emphasized the ongoing commitment from Google to collaborate with India in its AI initiatives: “He has always challenged all of us to do more, more for India. Now, he is asking us to do the same with AI. He has a clear vision… that it should all be in the service of the people of India.”
The roundtable, organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering, was attended by other prominent tech leaders, including Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet, and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. The discussions focused on the immense opportunities that AI and related technologies can unlock for India, with an emphasis on creating sustainable and impactful solutions.
As India positions itself as a leader in technological innovation, Pichai’s insights underscore the critical role that global tech giants can play in this transformation, fostering a partnership that could redefine the future landscape of the country.
