Sundar Pichai meets Indian ambassador in the US, discusses Google's commitment to India
Washington (PTI): Google CEO Sunder Pichai has held discussions with the Indian envoy in the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, about the technology giant's activities in India, particularly its aggressive push towards digitisation, as he became the first top Indian-American tech business leader to visit the country's embassy here.
Thank you Ambassador Sandhu for the great conversation, Pichai said in a tweet after his visit to the Indian Embassy in downtown Washington DC late last week.
This is for the first time that a top Indian-American tech CEO has visited the embassy here.
Appreciated the chance to discuss Google's commitment to India and look forward to continuing our support for India's digital future, said Pichai, who in January this year was named among the 17 awardees to receive the Padma Bhushan.
Technology that transforms; ideas that enable! tweeted Sandhu. Delighted to receive Google and Alphabet Pichai at the Embassy, he said.
Exchanged thoughts on expanding India-US commercial, knowledge & tech partnership with Google, the Indian envoy said.
Google under Pichai has made a massive investment in India and phenomenally expanded its footprint in a wide range of sectors including its training for the younger generation.
It has announced an investment of about USD10 billion under Google for India digitisation. It also has partnerships with Reliance's Jio as well as with Bharti Airtel.
In addition, it is partnering with India on workforce development and skill development. They are working with the government on the Digital India Programme, and the national digital literacy mission.
During the meeting with the Indian Ambassador, Pichai was very appreciative of the very initiatives that have been taken by India and underscored how Google is looking at India in a very positive framework.
The Ambassador highlighted the knowledge and education partnership.
The Google CEO, during the conversation, is also believed to have discussed various ways in which its partnership with India forward in particular in the education sector.
They also discussed digitisation efforts in India in which Google is involved, including digital payments and infrastructure digitisation.
The Indian Ambassador noted that Google is an important partner in India's digital transformation, which is a priority for the government.
Google and its parent company Alphabet have played an important role in the COVID-19 crisis last year. They put a lot of money in terms of supporting India, and they were part of the global task force of American CEOs set up in this regard.
The Indian government has intensified its engagement with American CEOs. The Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had a meeting with a number of CEOs from the Silicon Valley during his trip to California early this month.
Sandhu himself met several CEOs during his recent trips there. He also visited the universities in Silicon Valley which are considered to be the hub of such innovation.
They also had a number of venture capitalists and start-up entrepreneurs in San Francisco as part of India's latest push to have greater engagement with the American tech sector.
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Fifties by Kohli, Bethel, Shepherd power RCB to 213/5 against CSK
Bengaluru (PTI): Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethel did the early running with well-crafted fifties, while Romario Shepherd applied the finishing touches with a brutal 14-ball unbeaten half-century as Royal Challengers Bengaluru raced to a massive 213 for five against Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match here on Saturday.
The Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni decided to bowl first after winning the toss, but the decision played handsomely into RCB’s hands as Kohli and Bethel merrily chugged along to make 97 runs in just 9.5 overs for the opening wicket.
Kohli (62 off 33 balls) and Bethel (55 off 33) exploited a fuss-free pitch to telling effect, and their job was made much easier by the wrong lines of CSK bowlers, which was evidenced when Shepherd (53 not out off 14 balls; 4x4, 6X6) made the joint second fastest fifty in the IPL.
The fastest fifty of the IPL was struck off just 13 balls by Yashasvi Jaiswal in 2023, while both KL Rahul (in 2018) and Pat Cummins (2022) had also earlier made half centuries off 14 balls.
Khaleel Ahmed, who has the highest number of dot balls in this IPL at 110, tried to test Kohli with snorter but it was pulled thunderously over fine leg for a six.
In the very next ball, the left-arm pacer went for a fuller length delivery but it was on Kohli’s pads as the batter sent the ball soaring over square leg for a maximum, and all he needed was a simple unlocking of his wrist.
Bethel was more brutal. The England left-hander smashed Ahmed for three successive fours in the first over itself, all rasping cuts and forceful drives, as RCB raced out of the traps.
The 21-year-old had a slice of fortune too as Ravindra Jadeja and Matheesha Pathirana collided with each other to spill a catch off pacer Anshul Kamboj.
Bethel was on 27 then, and he soon brought up his maiden IPL fifty with a reverse scoop off Jadeja.
Kohli too reached his fifty soon after with a routine slap through the cover region for a four off Jadeja.
Just as the alliance was blossoming further, Bethel skied Pathirana for Dewald Brevis to complete a fine catch running in from the boundary line.
It gave some respite to the CSK bowlers, who found a way to stem the free flow of runs using cutters and into-the-deck deliveries, particularly Sam Curran (1/34) and Pathirana (3/36).
Curran consumed Kohli with a slow delivery which did not allow the batter to execute a ramp over Ahmed at gully.
But Kohli and Bethel had given RCB a superb platform as the home side were placed at 121 for 2 in the 12th over.
However, the improved lengths of CSK bowlers and a tinge of slowness in the track made RCB settle for 37 runs between overs 12 and 18 as batters like Devdutt Padikkal and skipper Rajat Patidar failed to force the pace.
But Shepherd waded into Ahmed (65 runs in 3 overs), slamming him for four sixes and two fours in the 19th over which yielded 33 runs.
Shepherd and Tim David raised their fifty stand for the sixth wicket in just 14 balls and the latter contributed a princely two runs in that alliance.
