Sundar Pichai: A True Visionary

On 18 October 2006, when Microsoft single-handedly was ready to vandalize Google.  At that time, Internet Explorer was the most famous browser.  Microsoft eliminated Google and created a new default version called ‘Bing” as a new search engine.  Due to this abrupt change, Google had lost its 300 million users in a day.  And, there is nothing wrong with saying this, if Sundar Pichai wouldn’t have been an overseer in the company, then no one has acknowledged Google. 

Being born in a lower-middle-class family, not possessing any car nor having a TV at home.  Even though he is not only the CEO of Google but also the CEO of its parent company Alphabet. Pichai Sundarajan was born in 1972 in a small city of Tamil Nadu in Mathurai. His father, Mr. Regunatha Pichai, was an electrical engineer in a company. His mother Lakshmi worked as a stenographer before his birth. Just like an ordinary middle-class family, his family used to live in a two room apartment. His financial condition can be unambiguously determined, when his father had to wait for three years to purchase a scooter for himself.  A telephone landline was installed at his home when he was around 14 years old.

From his childhood, Sundar Pichai was rabid, intelligent and promising. He completed his engineering from IIT Kharagpur in metallurgy. Just after completing his education, he procured a scholarship from Stanford University. To complete his MS in material science and semiconductor in physics, he went to the US. His flight expenditure was almost equal to his father’s one-year salary.

Even though; his family supported him. He planned, after completing MS, he will continue his study and pursue a doctorate. However, he dropped out of his plan.In 1995 after the successful completion of MS, he joined a company named Applied Materials as an engineer and product manager. He left the job in a very short period and enrolled for an MBA at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2002, he was accomplished with a degree in MBA, and then he was designated as a management consultant in McKinsey. He got married to his classmate and longtime girl-friend Anjali.

Journey In Google

Finally, in 2006, he joined Google as a product management president. In that year, Google had launched its free mail service called Gmail. He was assigned with the project Google toolbar and this was very important as people get an option to set Google as the default search engine in the Internet Explorer. At that time, Eric Schmidt was CEO of Google.

Sundar Pichai proposed “the idea of building their own browser” in front of both the co-founders' Eric Schmidt and Larry Page, but both rejected the proposal. They stated, “Internet Explorer is an already an established browser and we don’t need our browser. They won’t do anything special”. Sundar Pichai responded,  we should build our browser before Microsoft develops its search engine. However, both the co-founder didn’t pay attention and told him to pivot on Google toolbar. After this incident, Sundar Pichai never talked about this topic again.

It happened just as feared, over a night, Microsoft replaced Google with Bing. Google has adrift 300 million users. Till then, Sundar Pichai and his team, with their endless effort, have completed the Google toolbar project. It was launched in the market, and now people have the option to set Google as their default search engine. With this, Google has retained its 80% customers. Larry Page and Eric Schmidt both have understood the significance of Sundar Pichai. Soon, he was recognized as a visionary product manager.

After this incident, Sundar Pichai's recommendation was consented. Under his management, Google Chrome was launched in 2008. It was a grand success as Chrome became the world’s most used web. Sundar Pichai got worldwide acclaim for this product. He was promoted to VP of product development. Consequently, on every product launch of Google, he was acclimatized to incorporate the stage. He was accelerated with the post of senior VP of Chrome and App in 2012. Immediately after one year, he was predisposed with the responsibility to lead the project of Android Development.

He initiated the Android One operating system and deployed it to five billion people. Soon very quickly, he became the head of the product in 2014. Considering the time, he was getting a proposal from the top leading companies. He also got an offer from Twitter to join the post of head of product. Later on, he was considered as a contender of the CEO of Twitter.

Astonishingly, he was also deliberated as a candidate to be placed as CEO of Microsoft. Nevertheless, Sundar Pichai didn’t leave his integrity with Google. In 2015, to retain him, he was again promoted to the post of CEO in Google. Relentlessly, he was considered a better CEO than Larry page. Besides this, he is also the CEO of parent company Alphabet. Today Sundar Pichai is one of the most powerful and influential people in the world.

                                                                                (An Entrepreneur)