‘He challenged us to think…’: Google’s Sundar Pichai shares details of PM Modi’s meeting with top US CEOs

After a roundtable of prominent technology CEOs with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said PM Modi is focused on transforming India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a roundtable with CEOs of leading US technology companies, where he highlighted India’s economic growth prospects and discussed initiatives to strengthen bilateral cooperation across sectors.

After the meeting, Pichai said, “This is the vision of Digital India. He (PM Modi) has urged us to continue to manufacture in India, design in India. We are proud that we are now manufacturing our Pixel phones in India. He is really thinking about how AI can transform India in a way that will benefit the people of India. He has challenged us to think about applications in healthcare, education, agriculture, and also the infrastructure of India – be it data centres, energy, investments, to ensure that India can transform.”

Pichai also mentioned Google’s plans for India and investments in artificial intelligence.

“We are proud to be working with India. We are investing heavily in AI in India and we are looking forward to doing more. We have established several programs and partnerships. He has always challenged us to do more, more for India. Now he is asking us to do the same with AI. He has a clear vision, both in terms of the opportunities that AI will create and he wants to make sure that ultimately AI serves the people of India and he has a clear vision that everything should serve the people of India. He is challenging us to do more,” Pichai added.

PM Modi in USA: Technology Roundtable

The meeting, held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on Sunday during the second leg of Modi’s three-day visit to the US, was attended by CEOs of 15 major US companies working on cutting-edge technologies such as AI, quantum computers and semiconductors.

“I had a fruitful roundtable with CEOs of technology companies in New York, discussing aspects related to technology, innovation and more. I also highlighted the progress made by India in this space. I am happy to see tremendous optimism about India,” Modi said in a post on X.

During the conference, Modi said technology cooperation and activities such as the Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies (ICET) are at the heart of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, according to a press release from the Ministry of External Affairs.

The Prime Minister emphasised that in his third term, India will strive to become the world’s third-largest economy and encouraged companies to leverage India’s growth story to collaborate and innovate.

The conference, organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering, was attended by CEOs from leading American technology companies, including Google CEO Pichai, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayena, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet, and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang.

After meeting Prime Minister Modi, Huang said that Prime Minister Modi is an amazing student. “Every time I meet him, he wants to learn more about technology.”

“AI is a new industry and I look forward to deep collaboration with India. We are working with many companies, startups and IITs in India. AI is truly democratizing computing and this is India’s moment,” Huang added.

Also participating in the roundtable were AMD CEO Lisa Su, HP Inc. CEO Enrique Lores, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Dr. Noubar Afeyan, president of Moderna, and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg.

Assuring business leaders of India’s deep commitment to protecting intellectual property and supporting technological innovation, Modi highlighted the economic transformation taking place in the country, particularly in the areas of electronics, information technology and semiconductor manufacturing.

Modi said his government is working to make India a “global semiconductor manufacturing hub.”

He also spoke about India’s BIO E3 (Biotechnology for Environment, Economy and Employment) policy, which aims to make the country a biotechnology powerhouse. On the issue of artificial intelligence (AI), he noted that India’s policy aims to promote AI for all, based on its ethical and responsible use.

The CEOs appreciated India’s growing position as a global technology hub, driven by innovation-friendly policies and thriving market opportunities. They also expressed strong interest in investing and collaborating with India, agreeing that investing in startups would be a synergistic opportunity for innovation and development of newer technologies in the country.

Also attending the conference were Biogen Inc. CEO Chris Viehbacher, Bristol Myers Squibb CEO Chris Boerner, Eli Lilly and Company CEO David A. Ricks, LAM Research CEO Tim Archer, GlobalFoundries CEO Thomas Caulfield and Kyndryl CEO Martin Schroeter.

“Further cementing technology and business ties. Prime Minister @narendramodi interacted with top US technology leaders and CEOs at a roundtable organised by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Engineering in New York. The Prime Minister highlighted India’s growth prospects and discussed initiatives to foster collaboration and innovation across sectors,” the MEA said in an official report in a post on X.

Modi arrived in New York on Saturday after attending the Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware.