Google's Sunder Pichai to receive 2019 Global Leadership Award
Washington: Google's India-born CEO Sundar Pichai and Nasdaq president Adena Friedman have been chosen for the prestigious Global Leadership Awards 2019 by business advocacy group USIBC in recognition of the two companies' contribution as the leading technology-driven platforms.
The award by Washington-based US-India Business Council (USIBC) would be conferred upon Indian-American Pichai, 46, and Friedman, 50, during the next week's 'India Ideas Summit'.
Given annually since 2007, the USIBC Global Leadership Awards recognise top corporate executives from the United States and India whose companies play a major role in catalysing growth in the US-India commercial corridor.
With companies like Google and Nasdaq at the forefront, bilateral trade in goods and services has grown by nearly 150 per cent over the past five years to reach USD 142.1 billion in 2018, the USIBC said.
"Growing up in India, I saw the profound impact technology has on improving people's lives, and I am proud that Google has been able to contribute to India's exciting growth story," Pichai said.
"At the same time, India is playing an increasingly important role in helping Google build products for the US and globally, and we're only at the beginning of what's possible," he said in an accompanying statement.
The US-India relationship has never been more critical, he added.
According to Friedman, the work performed by the USIBC is critical to promoting mutually beneficial commercial and cultural ties between the US and India.
"At Nasdaq, we greatly value our partnership with the National Stock Exchange of India, as well as our advanced technology development center in Bengaluru. We greatly admire the opportunity and innovation that India represents as a world leading center of talent and technology," Friedman said.
Noting that India is seen as a market with enormous potential for the US companies, US Chambers of Commerce president and CEO Thomas J Donohue applauded the efforts of Pichai and Friedman to engage one of the globe's most promising emerging markets.
"We are enormously excited to recognise the contributions of Google and Nasdaq as leading technology-driven platforms that drive our markets and transform the way we live, learn, and do business," USIBC president Nisha Desai Biswal said.
Under the leadership of Pichai, Google is not only powering India's digital economy sector, but also expanding access to technology for millions of Indian citizens, including women and people from the marginalised communities, she said.
"Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman has brought the best-in-class technology of Nasdaq to more than 50 countries, including India's National Stock Exchange. Her leadership and investment in India will ensure that capital markets in both countries benefit from Nasdaq's cutting edge market technology and innovative approaches," Biswal added.
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Iran attacks oil tanker near Dubai; Trump warns of strikes on energy sites if Hormuz remains shut
Tel Aviv/Washington: Iran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Monday after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would target Iran’s energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.
According to a Reuters report, the Kuwait-flagged tanker Al-Salmi is owned by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and was capable of carrying around 2 million barrels of crude. . It was struck in what authorities later described as a drone attack. The company said the incident occurred early Tuesday, causing a fire and hull damage. No injuries were reported and the fire was brought under control, Dubai authorities said .
Oil prices rose briefly following the attack and added to volatility in global energy markets. In the United States, retail gasoline prices crossed $4 per gallon for the first time in more than three years, according to data from GasBuddy, as crude prices moved above $101 per barrel.
Israel said it carried out missile strikes on military infrastructure in Tehran and on sites linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah in Beirut. Explosions were reported in parts of Tehran, with Iran’s Tasnim news agency saying power outages occurred in the eastern Pirouzi district following the blasts.
The Israel Defense Forces said four soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon. In recent days, three peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon were also killed in separate incidents in the same area.
Iran’s military spokesperson said Tehran’s latest wave of missile and drone strikes targeted US military positions at five bases in the region and sites in Israel. Thousands of troops from the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division have begun arriving in the Middle East, according to US officials, expanding Washington’s military options even as diplomatic efforts continue.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Reuters Trump wants an agreement with Iranian leaders before a revised April 6 deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, adding that talks were progressing, while public statements from Tehran differed from private communications.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said proposals received through intermediaries were “unrealistic” and maintained that Iran was focused on defending itself.
In a social media post, Trump said that if a deal is not reached soon and the strait is not reopened, the US would strike Iran’s electric generating plants, oil wells and Kharg Island. However, a report in The Wall Street Journal said Trump had told aides he may be willing to end the military campaign even if the strait remains largely closed and address reopening it later. The White House referred to earlier remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the strait would be opened “one way or another.”
The administration has also requested an additional $200 billion in funding for the conflict, a proposal that faces opposition in the US Congress.
