Guwahati: At the Google for India virtual live-stream event on Monday, the company's CEO Sundar Pichai announced a $10 billion investment with an aim to accelerate India's "digital economy" in the next 5-7 years.
Stating that he was "excited" to announce the Google for India Digitization Fund, Pichai said that through the effort the multinational giant will inject $10 billion (Rs 75,000 crore) into the country over the next 5-7years. This, Pichai announced, shall be done through a mix of equity investments, partnerships, and operational, infrastructural, and ecosystem investments. The Google CEO said that this is a reflection of the company's confidence in India and its digital economy.
Pichai stated that the $10 billion investment will seek to enable affordable access and information to every single Indian by breaking the language barriers. He further added that India's unique needs shall be catered to by "products and services."
The Google CEO expressed hope that the company's huge investment will also help local businesses to move towards digital transformation, adding that it will also work towards using Artificial Integellince (AI) in areas like health, education, etc.
An AI flood forecasting system that will help warn and evacuate areas that may get affected by the natural disaster was cited as one of the examples by Pichai, who also enlightened about an AI-powered reading tutor app Bolo aka Read-Along to help kids read and learn.
Citing a plethora of successful programs launched by the company in the past, the 48-year-old pointed to Internet Saathi and claimed that it has helped over 30 million women across India to learn digital skills and incorporate them into their everyday lives.
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pichai said that his envisioned Digital India mission has made internet accessible to a billion Indians through "cheap smartphones, affordable data, and world-class telecom infrastructure."
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