Sundar Pichai

 Wizard Of Silicon Valley

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google since 2015, has continually been in the limelight for his unique strategy and stellar achievements. Currently, he is leading the AI revolution in India from the front.

Sundar Pichai, an Indian–American business executive, has been the CEO of Google since 2015 and the CEO of its parent company Alphabet Inc., US, since 2019. With Google ramping up its AI ambitions to take on Microsoft and Amazon in India’s fast-growing cloud market, he has given an aggressive push into AI and cloud technologies.

Sundararajan Pichai began his corporate journey as a materials engineer. After a short tenure at  McKinsey & Co, a management consulting firm, he joined Google in 2004. He worked for the company's product management and innovation, including Google Chrome and ChromeOS. Besides, he was responsible for Google Drive. Also, he later oversaw the development of other applications such as Gmail and Google Maps.

Family And Education 

Sundar Pichai was born in June 1972 in Madurai, a city in India's Tamil Nadu, to a Hindu family. His father, Regunatha Pichai, was an electrical engineer at GEC while his mother was a stenographer. Pichai grew up in a modest household in Chennai, where education and curiosity were a priority. “My mom never went past high school because of financial circumstances, but she was an avid reader,” he said. “That’s where my love of learning came from.” His grandfather’s influence and strong family values shaped his worldview: Knowledge as a path to opportunity.

Pichai studied in Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School in Chennai, and he  completed the Class XII from Vana Vani school at IIT Madras. He earned a B.Tech in metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur. He holds an MS degree from Stanford University in materials science and engineering, and also an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, US. In the University, he named Siebel Scholar and a Palmer Scholar.

In McKinsey & Company, Sundar Pichai worked as a consultant in engineering and product management at Applied Materials. On joining Google in 2004, he led the product management and innovation team for developing a suite of Google's client software products, including Google Chrome and ChromeOS. He was responsible for Google Drive also. He went on to oversee the development of other applications such as Gmail and Google Maps. In November 2009, he gave a demonstration of ChromeOS. Shortly thereafter the Chromebook was released for trial and testing in 2011. It was released officially to the public in 2012. In May 2010, he announced the open-sourcing of the new video, codec VP8, by Google, and introduced the new video format, WebM.

Between 2011 and 2014, he  served on Jive Software's board of directors. In March 2013, Sundar Pichai added Android to the list of Google products, which was formerly managed by Andy Rubin. Sundar Puchai was selected to serve as the next CEO of Google in August 2015, after previously being appointed Product Chief by CEO Larry Page. In October 2015, he stepped  into the new position on completion of the formation of Alphabet Inc., the new holding company for the Google stable.

Sundar Pichai was suggested as a contender for Microsoft's CEO in 2014, a position that was eventually given to Satya Nadella. In August 2017, he drew publicity for firing a Google employee who wrote a ten-page manifesto criticizing the company's pro-diversity policies. In 2017, he was appointed a director to the Alphabet Board of Directors. In December 2018, he was questioned by the US House Judiciary Committee on a range of Google-related issues, including possible political bias on Google's platforms, the company's alleged plans for a "censored search app" in China, and its privacy practices. In response, Sundar Pichai informed the committee that Google employees cannot influence search results. He also stated that Google users can opt out of having their data collected and also clarified that there were no existing plans for a censored search engine in China.

In December 2019, Sundar Pichai was appointed the CEO of Alphabet Inc. In April 2024, after 28 Google employees were fired for protesting against Project Nimbus, he allegedly stated that the office was not a place to fight over disruptive issues or debate politics, warning against using the company as a personal platform.

India Focus

Google is ramping up its AI ambitions to take on Microsoft and Amazon in India’s fast-growing cloud market. For Sundar Pichai, this aggressive push into AI and cloud is part of a vision he has championed for years: Making technology universally accessible while ensuring trust and safety. While talking to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff at Dreamforce 2025 at San Francisco in October, Pichai shared how his personal journey—from waiting five years for a rotary phone in Chennai to leading one of the world’s most influential tech companies—shapes Google’s approach to AI.

Awards

Sundar Pichai was included in Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in 2016 and 2020. He was also included in the Time 100 AI list in 2024. Besides, he was awarded the 2021 Asia Game Changer Award by the Asia Society. In 2022, he received the Padma Bhushan in the category of Trade and Industry from the Government of India, the country's third-highest civilian award.

Pichai is married to Anjali Pichai (née Haryani) and has two children. Anjali is originally from Kota, India. They met while studying together at IIT Kharagpur. His recreational interests include cricket and soccer. Nowadays he lives in Los Altos Hills, California, US.

Photo: Courtesy Google

Daijiworld

Daijiworld Strikes A Chord With Expats 

Gulf expats of Mangaluru in Coastal Karnataka swoon over Daijiworld, thanks to its founder Walter D'souza Nandalike who has broken the glass ceiling by his business acumen and corporate strategy. From being a news and entertainment website, Daijiworld has grown exponentially over the years into a multi-dimensional entertainment hub.

Walter D'souza Nandalike, Founder and Managing Director of Daijiworld, is an extraordinary visionary businessman. He has been wearing different hats juggling them between roles from being the company's top corporate leader and a popular actor to a prolific writer, an orator and a philanthropist.

Walter D'souza, who runs the popular Daijiworld Entertainment and News hub, as well as one of the top regional TV channels, never had an inkling of where he was headed when he set out on an uncharted business path back in the early 1990s. Today, he has offices in Mangaluru, India, Dubai, and other expat destinations. He had no plans to revolutionise the thoughts of the people of Mangaluru, but merely wished to bring about a transformation in "relationship" between natives of the coastal town employed or engaged in business in the Gulf Countries and connect them to their native heritage and culture. 

The famous quote by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, "The pen is mightier than the sword," inspired Walter to set the ball rolling. A qualified journalist, he was associated with regional publications prior to landing a job in Dubai. Although he took a cue from the above quote, he did not think his business would garner such huge popularity within a short period. In fact, on the suggestions of his close friends he had set up a website for the native expats. Initially, the website was designed and operated as a source of community news from back home. 

Walter D'Souza, born in 1973 and fondly known as Walter Nandalike, is the Founder and Managing Director of Daijiworld Media Pvt Ltd, a media company based in Mangaluru, Karnataka, India.

Daijiworld.com, formerly daijidubai.com, was launched in January 2001. In April 2007, the media company was converted into Daijiworld Media Pvt Ltd. With close to 1.2 million visitors per month, the website today has a wide presence, besides India, in the Middle East and Gulf countries.

Initially, Walter D'souza began writing stories and articles for Konkani and Kannada periodicals as he set out on a journalism career. In fact, it was a dream he cherished from childhood. He graduated in commerce from St Mary's College, Shirva, District Udupi. However, after a brief stint in local publications, Walter left for Dubai in search of employment. However, he had little knowledge of computers, which was then making a splash in the corporate world. Knowledge of computers had become a prerequisite for any impactful business in the media by the 1990s.

In The Beginning 

It began as an April Fool's Day email prank on his friends back in 2000, which said that he had launched a website, daijidubai.com. But he was amazed by the overwhelming response he received from them. Although his friends pointed out the website was not functioning, since Walter meant it to be a mere prank. They expressed their desire that he would look into the matter forthwith. Encouraged by the enthusiasm of his friends and their support, he decided to actually start a website. 

Enthused by the big initial response, Walter took necessary steps to acquire computer skills unaware that it would be a prelude to the coming revolution through his website in  Coastal Karnataka. In January 2001, his efforts came to fruition with the launch of the erstwhile daijidubai.com. It was initially meant to cater to the Konkani-speaking community. The website was transformed from a regional online publication over the years to include the entire spectrum of Mangalorean diaspora around the globe. 

After the success of Daijidubai.com, Walter Nandalike subsequently set up Daijiworld.com, with much wider coverage. He soon diversified into radio and TV channels. Thereafter, he converted his proprietary firm into a private limited company by roping in like-minded friends, inviting investments in the new company. Thus, he embarked upon the corporate media business successfully. 

Walter D'souza was the first person to introduce the concept of Internet TV in Mangaluru back in 2007. He launched the city's first-ever Internet television, TV Daijiworld, which has successfully been running with a wide viewership abroad. Among other programs, TV Daijiworld also telecasts major community and social events, including live webcasts from Mangaluru, Dubai, Doha, Mumbai, Bangalore and other cities across the world.

After Daijiworld's success, Walter D'souza launched the Daijiworld 24x7 TV channel. Today, the TV channel is the numero uno among other local TV channels in coastal Karnataka. In fact, it is the first multilingual channel of Karnataka serving Kannada, Tulu, Beary, and Konkani communities. Along with the multilingual TV channel, he also launched, Daijiworld Audio Visual Pvt Ltd, another first state-of-art-audio recording studio in the region, with advanced recording facilities for music and movie dubbing. Moreover, in May 2017, an app-based Konkani-Tulu music radio station was launched. 

Walter, The Actor

Walter made his film debut in Coastalwood's  "Soda Sharbath," which was a box-office success. He has also played the lead role in "Mog Mullyaar," a Konkani musical film. Besides, he has appeared in "Magane Mahisa," which was directed by Veerendra Shetty, and Police File, a Kannada web series directed by Sooraj Bolar.

Walter's runaway success is Private Challenge on Daijiworld TV, a satire, along with comedian film actor Arvind Bolar. Currently, in its fourth season, Private Challenge has garnered huge viewership.

Radio Daijiworld, a subsidiary of its parent company Daijiworld Media Network, caters to all kinds of Konkani and Tulu music. Moreover, it also promotes artists and events related to Konkani. It's the first online radio station for Konkani and Tulu music.

Awards And Recognitions

Walter D'souza has bagged over 85 national, international and regional awards for his achievements. The key awards include Pingara Rajyotsava Award 2007, IPP Star of Year-2009 from Toastmasters Club, Houston, US, Rachana Entrepreneur of the Year 2010, Sandesha Media Education Award 2010, Editors' Award 2011, Young Entrepreneur Award from CCC Mumbai, Entrepreneur of the Year Award from FKCA Bengaluru, Mayura Award 2012 and several others.

A prolific writer, Walter Nandalike has written nearly 100 short-stories, several articles on current affairs and two novels 'Saithanachya Savlenth' and 'Devcharachi Deswat'. His stories have been broadcast on All India Radio. Being an actor and an orator, he has hosted over 100 major cultural events in India and the Gulf countries.

Photo: Courtesy Daijiworld 

Lakshmi Mittal, ArcelorMittal

Man of Mettle

Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, who is at the helm of ArcelorMittal, the world's second-largest steel producer, is widely considered synonymous with the global steel industry. His legacy goes beyond his accomplishments in the steel industry through the LNM Foundation. 

The World Steel Association (WorldSteel) in its October 2024 report of the short range outlook (SRO) for FY24 forecast that the global steel demand would dip further by 0.9% to 1751 million tonnes. However, after three years of decline, WorldSteel is expecting a broadbased recovery globally, except China, in 2025. Demand for steel is forecast to rebound by 1.2% in 2025 to reach 1772 million tonnes globally.

According to Dr. Martin Theuringer, Managing Director, German Steel Association and Chairman of the WorldSteel Economics Committee, observed: "The year 2024 was a difficult period for global steel demand, as the global manufacturing sector continued to grapple with persistent headwinds, including decreasing household purchasing power, aggressive monetary tightening and escalating geopolitical uncertainties."

Despite the challenges, such as lingering effects of monetary tightening, higher costs, limited affordability and geopolitical uncertainties, WorldSteel is optimistic that global steel demand would enter a moderate growth phase in 2025. The global market for steel was estimated at 1.8 billion metric tonnes in 2024. It is projected to reach 2.2 billion metric tonnes by 2030, clocking a CAGR of 2.9% from 2024 to 2030. 

Lakshmi Mittal

Lakshmi Mittal is considered synonymous with the global steel industry. His role in building ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel company, is attributed to his aggressive acquisitions and strategic leadership. He is looked up to for his role in reshaping the global steel industry. Thanks to his vision for the growth of the industry, he successfully transformed what was once a balkanised and localised industry into a more integrated global sector.

Lakshmi Mittal, a global businessman who serves on the boards of various advisory councils, is also a philanthropist engaged in children's health and education. He is a citizen of India but resides in the UK to helm his vast business.

Mittal Roots

Lakshmi Mittal was born into a Marwari Hindu family in Sadulpur, Rajasthan, India, in 1950. The family eventually moved to Kolkata. Subsequently, his father Mohanlal Mittal set up a steel mill, Nippon Denro Ispat, in 1976. Laxmi studied at Shri Daulatram Nopany Vidyalaya, Kolkata. He pursued his B.Com. at St. Xavier's College, affiliated to the University of Calcutta. Due to restrictions placed on steel production by the then Indian government, young Laxmi opened his first steel factory, PT Ispat Indo, in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia. In 1989, Mittal purchased the loss-making state-owned steel works in Trinidad and Tobago. In a year's time he turned them into profitable ventures.

Until the 1990s, the Mittals' main assets in India were a cold-rolling mill for sheet steels in Nagpur and an alloy steel plant in Pune. Today, the family business, including a large integrated steel plant near Mumbai, is run by his younger brothers Pramod Mittal and Vinod Mittal. In 1995, Laxmi Mittal purchased the Irish Steel plant based in Cork, Ireland, from the government, but it was closed down after a few years. Subsequent environmental issues at the site drew flak. 

In 2001, Mittal acquired an existing business, which he renamed Ispat Mexicana, while he bought another unit, Ispat Katmet, in Kazakhstan. Shortly thereafter he renamed Sidex Galati to Ispat Sidex, which he had acquired in November 2001. In the late-2003, LNM Group concluded the $155-million transaction to take over the control of steel assets, Siderurgica Hunedoara and Petrotub Roman. Thereafter, it also took over the Polish PHS Steel Group. In 2007, Lakshmi Mittal made a hostile takeover of Arcelor, which he renamed ArcelorMittal. In the process, he obtained control over the Usinor of France, the Arbed of Luxembourg, and the Aceralia of Spain.

ArcelorMittal 

ArcelorMittal, an integrated steel manufacturing company, headquartered in Luxembourg, manufactures and markets a range of finished and semi-finished steel products. The product portfolio consists of flat steel, including sheet and plate, and long steel, including bars, rods, and structural shapes. Also, it produces pipes and tubes for various applications, and mining products, including iron ore lump, fines, concentrate and sinter feed, coking, pulverized coal injection (PCI) and thermal coal. The company is engaged in iron ore and coal mining operations in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. The company markets steel products largely in local markets and through centralized marketing to customers in appliance, automotive, construction, engineering, and machinery sectors. 

ArcelorMittal is ranked second on the list of steel producers. It reported an annual crude steel production of 78 million metric tonnes in 2023. However, In 2024, ArcelorMittal's crude steel production reached 57.9 million tonnes, a 0.3% decrease compared to 2023, while iron ore production increased by 0.9% to 42.4 million tonnes. lt generated a sales revenue of around $62.4 billion in 2024. It has strategic project capex investments for the Liberia expansion project (41%), the renewables energy project in India (14%), and Mardyck Electrical Steels (14%).  It has steel-making operations in 15 countries, including 37 integrated and mini-mill steel-making facilities. 

Mittal Family

Lakshmi Mittal has two brothers, Pramod Mittal and Vinod Mittal, and a sister, Seema Lohia. Seema is married to Prakash Lohia, who owns Indorama Corporation. (Read Prakash Lohia)

Lakshmi Mittal is married to Usha Dalmia. They have a son Aditya Mittal and a daughter Vanisha Mittal. He resides at 18-19 Kensington Palace Gardens, which was bought in 2004 for £67 million ($128 million). The opulent house, then the world's most expensive residence, is decorated with marbles taken from the same quarry from where marble stones were sourced by King Shahajahan to construct the Taj Mahal. The extravagance is often referred to by the media as the 'Taj Mittal'. It has 12 bedrooms, an indoor pool, Turkish baths and parking for 20 cars.

Also, Lakshmi Mittal bought No. 9A Palace Greens, Kensington Gardens, formerly the Philippines Embassy, for £70 million in 2008, for his daughter Vanisha Mittal. She is married to Amit Bhatia, a businessman and philanthropist. Vanisha's wedding reception is still remembered for its lavish 'vegetarian Party' held in the Palace of Versailles, France.

Achievements And Awards

The following are some of the major achievements and awards received by Lakshmi Mittal:

• Turning around the fortunes of state-owned steel works in Trinidad and Tobago.
• Acquiring and successfully managing the Irish Steel plant in Cork, Ireland, and renaming Sidex Galati to Ispat Sidex. 
• Acquisition of PHS Steel Group from the Polish government and renamed Ispat Mexicana and Ispat Karmet.
• Most significant achievement is the acquisition of Arcelor in 2006, creating the world's largest steelmaking company, ArcelorMittal. 
• Lakshmi Mittal has received numerous awards and honours, including the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour, in 2008.

Besides, Lakshmi Mittal gained international recognition as a steel industry leader. In 1996, he was awarded Steelmaker of the Year by New Steel in the US. He was named Fortune's European Businessman of the Year in 2004, and Person of the Year by the Financial Times in 2006. In 2010, he received the World Steel Association’s medal in recognition of his contribution to the sustainable development of the global steel industry. In 2013, he received a Doctor Honoris Causa from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland.

Lakshmi Mittal is Chairman of $68-billion (revenue) ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel and mining company by output. In 2019, Arcelor and Nippon Steel completed their $5.9 billion acquisition of Essar Steel, once controlled by former billionaires Shashi Ruia and Ravi Ruia. In 2021, Mittal made his son Aditya Mittal as CEO while he took over as Executive Chairman of ArcelorMittal. As of March 2025, Lakshmi Mittal's net worth is estimated at $18.43 billion. 

Lakshmi Mittal’s legacy goes beyond his accomplishments in the steel industry. The LNM Foundation, a platform for social responsibility that he founded, is engaged in improvement of education, healthcare, and development of the community. His philanthropic efforts include numerous social causes, which show his belief in corporate responsibility in the fight against societal challenges and his dedication to giving back to society.

(Photo: Courtesy ArcelorMittal)