Executive | Laxman Narasimhan | Global Indian

Global IndianstoryAnother Indian CEO on the block: Pune-born Laxman Narasimhan to head Starbucks

Another Indian CEO on the block: Pune-born Laxman Narasimhan to head Starbucks

Written by: Namrata Srivastava

(September 4, 2022) When he first arrived in the United State of America in 1991, he was a little puzzled by the culture and thought he might not fit in there. About three decades later today, 55-year-old Laxman Narasimhan is all set to take over as the CEO of coffee-giant, Starbucks at a tumultuous time. Joining the likes of Sundar Pichai at Google, Parag Agarwal at Twitter, Arvind Krishna at IBM, Leena Nair at Chanel, and many other Indians who are heading global corporations, the Pune-born executive is slated to officially start as CEO next April.

Laxman Narasimhan has been named the next Starbucks CEO

While it is a big responsibility to head a coffeehouse company, which has over 33,000 stores in 80 countries and more than 3,50,000 employees globally, this is not the first time that Narasimhan is at the helm of overseeing globally known companies. The top executive recently stepped down as the CEO of Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, the company behind heritage brands Dettol, Strepsils, Harpic, and many other household items. Before his three-year stint at Reckitt, the Indian-American business executive was appointed as the Chief Commercial Officer at PepsiCo Inc in 2012, where he worked very closely with Indra Nooyi. Known as a “turnaround agent”, this Global Indian has successfully improved the financial position of all the companies he has worked in.

From Pune to Pennsylvania

Born in a middle-class family in Pune, Narasimhan’s childhood was no different than any other ordinary child’s in India. A brilliant student, the young boy would often sneak out of the house with his brother, to play cricket with their neighbourhood friends. In an interview with The Sunday Times, which was published earlier this year, he said his childhood was “tough”, recalling the death of his older sister who passed away before he was born, and how his elder brother died at the age of eight due to kidney infections.

Narasimham with his family in Paris

A high-achieving kid from a young age, Narasimhan earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering, University of Pune. He spent his college days regularly travelling home to care for his father who fell severely ill at the time. Of growing up in India, he said, “you learn resilience, you learn tolerance, you learn to find a way through”. A “collection of scholarships and two jobs” helped Narasimhan go abroad for further studies, where he pursued an MA in German and International Studies from The Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Along his journey from India to the USA, the man didn’t just pick up degrees. According to several media reports, the executive is a hyperpolyglot and can speak as many as six languages. Narasimhan is fluent in German, English, Spanish, Hindi, and two other Indian languages.

Driven by purpose

After he finished his MBA, Narasimhan started his career with a global management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company. In his 19-year-long stint with the company, the executive held many positions around the world, and eventually became a director and location manager of McKinsey’s New Delhi office. In 2012, he joined PepsiCo, where he rose through the ranks, supervising operations in Latin America, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa, and becoming a chief commercial officer. Not many are aware that Narasimhan was in the running to get the top job after Indra Nooyi stepped down as the CEO of the company. However, the job went to Ramon Laguarta.

In 2019, Narasimhan was hired as the Chief Executive Officer by Reckitt Benckiser, which was going through a rough phase, burdened by $16.6 billion takeover. Despite the company’s ill-fated split with Mead Johnson, it took Narasimhan only a few months to start selling the underperforming operations. In 2021, the executive was lauded by Reckitt’s investors and stockholders for steering the company through the pandemic. Speaking to McKinsey during an interview, Narasimhan said, “When I became the CEO of Reckitt I decided that I would take six months to lay out what I thought the company should be and where we should go. As part of that, I spent a lot of time in our markets. I sold with our salespeople and met with customers. I immersed myself in our R&D. And that’s how we got to our purpose: to protect, heal, and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner and healthier world.”

Today is formally day one of my RB journey as CEO. And I am on a journey – to listen, and learn, from everyone as we craft the future of RB together. For the first time I can proudly say #WeAreRB. @discoverRB. Read more: https://t.co/3BC651b8Tp pic.twitter.com/HS4ZsbIGKK

— Laxman Narasimhan (@lakslnarasimhan) September 2, 2019

Starbucks is currently navigating a burgeoning unionisation push following a difficult phase for workers during the pandemic. Talking about the importance of hiring Narasimhan as the top executive, the current CEO of the coffee giant, Howard Schultz said, “He’s a true operator and has the DNA of an entrepreneur,” adding, that his background in technology and supply chains would be invaluable to the company. Schultz is expected to remain in charge of the company for the next several months before Narasimhan takes over as the CEO. The top executive is set to draw $1.3 million (about Rs 10 crore) as his annual base salary as the CEO of Starbucks. He also received a signing bonus of $1.5 million and a replacement equity grant with a target value of $9.25 million

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Published on 04, Sep 2022

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Jose Ramapuram: Bringing sustainability to high-end tourism

(November 26, 2022) Jose T Ramapuram was barely 24 years old when he was put in charge of the family plantation business in Udupi, Karnataka. It was his first job, and Ramapuram spent six years here, in the wilderness of Kundapur, without electricity, phones or the other small comforts we tend to take for granted. The House of Ramapuram is well-respected and well-to-do, with its estates spread over 1000 acres. Ramapuram enjoyed getting into the nitty-gritty, and although he seemed set to continue the family tradition, he had a change of heart seven years later. He has come a long way since then. As Managing Director of Evolve Back (formerly Orange County), a luxury hotel brand, Ramapuram has expanded the business both in India and abroad, with a property in Botswana and one in Bhutan in the pipeline. Jose T Ramapuram talks to Global Indian about his journey and how he plans to take his luxury Indian brand places. [caption id="attachment_32147" align="aligncenter" width="391"] Jose Ramapuram, MD, Evolve Back Luxury Resorts[/caption] Growing up in the lap of nature Ramparuram's passion for properties in the lap of nature can be traced back to his childhood, when he spent his summer holidays in the family’s

dth="391"] Jose Ramapuram, MD, Evolve Back Luxury Resorts[/caption]

Growing up in the lap of nature

Ramparuram's passion for properties in the lap of nature can be traced back to his childhood, when he spent his summer holidays in the family’s sprawling, remote plantations in Coorg. His family, he says, is much like him. "I remember, we had seven dogs, three cows, 30-40 chickens, ducks, turkeys and even peacocks at home. I spent some of my summer holidays at what is Evolve Back, Coorg, today. At that time, there was no grid power or surfaced roads. We used to have petromax providing us light at night in the farmhouse," he remembers. The days were spent fishing in the Cauvery, and he loved going on long walks with his father surveying their plantations or playing with other children residing on the plantation.

The brand’s early days

Evolve Back, formerly known as Orange County, started in a small way in Coorg in 1994 and has grown organically ever since. What has worked for the brand is attention to what travellers seek. "Over the years, we realised that the evolved world traveller is looking for a pure, authentic, true-to-the-land experience. Our guests, therefore, experience a transformation within and feel rejuvenated by the authentic nature and culture of the land. Everything is preserved and showcased at each of the Evolve Back properties," he explains.

Built in keeping with the coffee plantation theme, Evolve Back Coorg is located on 300 acres of land, with the Dubare Reserve Forest on one side and the river Cauvery on the other. Their other property, Evolve Back, Kabini, is considered one of India's finest wildlife resorts offering excellent views of the Kabini river and the island. Evolve Back Kamalapura Palace, Hampi, has fort-like entrances, stone-paved boulevards, arched hallways and regal chambers mirroring the famed palaces of a bygone but glorious era.

[caption id="attachment_32149" align="aligncenter" width="584"] Jose Ramapuram | Evolve Back | Global Indian Evolve Back Hampi Photo: Evolve Back[/caption]

Expansion to Botswana

Ramapuram decided that it was time for the brand to look beyond familiar territory with the Evolve Back Gham Dhao Lodge in Botswana, Africa. "We chose Botswana in keeping with our philosophy of going to lesser commercialised destinations. At this property, guests enjoy the Kalahari Desert with its famed night skies, unique wildlife, and ancient culture."

While Botswana has a lot to offer in terms of wildlife, it also has a stable democracy and the highest per capita income in Africa. The country is also not “overly commercialised,” he says and “strongly focuses on high-end, low-volume tourism.” Apart from looking at increasing footprints in Botswana, Evolve Back has already acquired land in the neighbourhood of India--Bhutan. This will be their next international destination if everything goes according to plan.

The age of responsible tourism

Although sustainability is something that the high-end travel industry in India has been conscious of, it has almost become synonymous at all levels. However, the concept of responsible tourism comes naturally to Evolve Back. The principal tenets of "responsible tourism" can be experienced at their three resorts at Coorg, Kabini and Hampi.

Ramapuram says that the brand is committed to employing the "best in environmental and sustainable practices" in technology, equipment and operational processes. For instance, most plastic items are not allowed inside Evolve Back properties, and not just that. "Our team converts over 150 kg of kitchen waste into biogas, which is used as manure for horticulture," Ramapuram explains.

[caption id="attachment_32148" align="aligncenter" width="603"] Jose Ramapuram | Evolve Back | Global Indian Evolve Back Gham Dhao Lodge, Central Kalahari, Botswana[/caption]

How he unwinds

Travelling to unusual places is a happy part of his job description. Ramapuram prefers to take his family along, avoiding the hustle and bustle of conventional tourist places. "Pre-pandemic, my three children, wife and I, and two nieces used to travel to a different country almost every year. We used to land at an airport, sometimes in Europe, Asia or US, hire a car and drive out to the countryside, avoiding the big cities. We drove around living in small villages absorbing the country's local people, food, culture and nature for up to two weeks. Then we would drive back to the airport, hand over the hired car and return home. These are the holidays that we treasure,” he says.

He unwinds in several other ways too. A lover of music, Ramapuram is part of Cecilian Choir – a classical choir in Bangalore. He also plays the guitar, both acoustic and electric.

A man of many interests, Ramapuram also has a deep interest in photography, calling himself the “official photographer” of the family. “I do nature, people and food photography and my pictures are a part of the brand’s website, as well as the family albums,” he chuckles. He recently also completed a coffee-brewing course. He heads the FMCG arm of the family, including the coffee brand 'Sidapur' – named after his village in Coorg.

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Defining success

Ramapuram measures his success by one overarching parameter – “Do the properties make a lasting impression on the guests?” In India, the answer is mostly in the affirmative. Now, he wants to make sure he has the same effect on the international traveller, too.

Follow Evolve Back on Instagram and check out their website here

Reading Time: 6 mins

Indian para-swimmer Niranjan Mukundan eyes gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

(June 22, 2022) Roadblocks and setbacks are a test of true grit and perseverance. If we can rise to overcome them, they become stories that can inspire others, too. Niranjan Mukundan, Indian para-swimmer and the country's 'golden boy', story is one of these. Born in Bengaluru with spina bifida (a condition in which the spine and spinal cord don't develop properly) and clubbed feet, the Indian para-swimmer rose above nearly insurmountable odds to pursue his passion for swimming. In 2015, he was crowned Junior World Champion at the World Junior Games and also received the Karnataka Rajyotsava Prahasti. A year of triumphs India's 'golden boy' has had a busy year, packed with both victory and loss. He missed the finals list at the Tokyo Paralympics 2022, he brought home a gold, silver and bronze in different categories at the Para Swimming Cup 2022 in Prague and the bronze at the Championnat de France. For the self-professed travel junkie, his passion has made his dreams come true. He speaks to Global Indian from Madeira, Portugal, where the World Para Winning Championships 2022 are currently taking place. It's been a victorious run already. Niranjan has broken two national records

ade his dreams come true.

He speaks to Global Indian from Madeira, Portugal, where the World Para Winning Championships 2022 are currently taking place. It's been a victorious run already. Niranjan has broken two national records on Day 1 and Day 2. “I was introduced to swimming as a form of therapy,” Niranjan explains. “I was born with spina bifida and have undergone 19 surgeries on my legs and back since the time I was born. Aqua therapy was meant to strengthen my muscles but I fell in love with the water and learned the sport quickly.” When he entered the water, he found, for the very first time, a sense of freedom. “I was able to move around easily. Children usually take around 20 days to learn how to swim but I did so in 12 or 13 days.”

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Birmingham 2022 and miles to go from there

For the last six months, Niranjan has shuttled between Thailand and the National Training Centre in Germany, where he's preparing for his debut at the upcoming Commonwealth Games. “I qualified in 2014 but was injured just before the event and couldn’t take part.” In 2018, his event category wasn’t included in the games. “I’m really excited to be participating,” he gushes. "I will give it my best shot."

He has already put the spotlight on the sport but the young Indian para-swimmer believes the country has a long way to go in terms of equipping its para-talent. "We are getting recognition but it's not yet fully what we deserve," he says. "People still need awareness about Paralympic athletes and support us more. It will be a big morale boost. Over the years, we para-athletes have done extremely well on the global stage, winning medals and bringing laurels to the country. Still, we lack sponsorships and brand endorsements within the country. We no longer need sympathy. It's about time we give talent the credit that it is due."

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Raising the bar, always

Mukundan believes the bar can never be set too high but he has already come a long, long way from being a happy child who loved to swim, to being a rising star. He is the first Indian para-swimmer to win over 85 international medals representing India. He also holds the highest number of Asian records - a total of seven. He was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, in the Game Changers category.

One day at a time

"I am a travel junkie and my profession takes me around the globe," he says. He has visited nearly 40 countries and "loves meeting new people and being part of the exchange of cultures. It's very beautiful when you experience it."

He's also an "adventure freak," he says. "I love doing things that people feel are beyond me. That includes a recent skydiving experience from 14,000 feet in Switzerland."

That said, he likes to take one day at a time, and keep his sights firmly on the future, while enjoying the present moment. Right now, that includes the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Paris 2024.

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A dream like no other

The 27-year-old has always dreamt big and through sheer determination, it has worked out in his favour. "A lot of people didn't believe I could ever be independent. However, I like to think of every challenge as a push to where I've always wanted to be." He also hopes to be the most-decorated Indian para-swimmer of all time. "I think my love for the sport, as well as the pride of representing my country at the highest levels keeps me going," he says.

Follow Niranjan on Instagram

Reading Time: 5 mins

For the love of chocolate: La Folie by Sanjana Patel brings haute patisserie to Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda

(February 18, 2024) For a decade now, Chef Sanjana Patel's La Folie has elevated the French haute pâtisserie and chocolatery scene and continues to forge new paths. As a 14 year old, Sanjana Patel would love seeing her grandmother, a baker, work in her kitchen. It inspired her to start baking with her. As her grandmother loved gardening, she has fond memories of summer holidays spent making carrot halwa cake from carrots picked from her garden. “I was always excited about making everything with chocolate. Even today, I carry with me a lot of things I learned from her, you will find these practices in my kitchen even today. One significant thing that I learned from here is localisation and sustainability, which you will find intertwined with La Folie’s philosophy and practices,” Chef Sanjana tells Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_49183" align="aligncenter" width="513"] Chef Sanjana Patel, founder, La Folie[/caption] Starting out Patel did her early education at Maneckji Cooper and JB Petit and finished high school at St Hilda's in Ooty. In 2005, she moved to the UK and started at Le Cordon Bleu, College of Culinary Arts in London, followed by Ecole Gregoire Ferrandi in Paris, where she earned a master’s

Patel did her early education at Maneckji Cooper and JB Petit and finished high school at St Hilda's in Ooty. In 2005, she moved to the UK and started at Le Cordon Bleu, College of Culinary Arts in London, followed by Ecole Gregoire Ferrandi in Paris, where she earned a master’s in baking and Patisserie. Then, she moved to the University of Surrey for an M.Sc. in Food Science Management with honours in Chocolate Technology and did an M.Sc. in Marketing and Strategy at the University of Warwick (Warwick Business School). In 2008, she finished her master’s diploma C.A.P in bakery and patisserie with distinction at Ecole Gregoire Ferrandi in Paris. She then stayed in Europe for seven years and worked with chefs like Pierre Hermé, Jean-Charles Rochoux, Patrick Roger, Camille Lesecq, and Olivier Bajard. She also worked at award-winning restaurants like Hotel Le Meurice and Hotel Plaza Athénée in the Dorchester Collection under chefs like Christophe Michalak and Chef Alain Ducasse, among others.

The La Folie journey

In 2013, she decided to return to India and began her journey with La Folie as she opened the first outlet in Kala Ghoda, Mumbai a decade ago in January 2014. “My love for chocolate partially stemmed from Chocolaterie Jean-Charles Rochoux, where I served as a Chocolatier Intern. This experience has been the grounding stone of my journey into the world of chocolate,” she says. At La Folie she has introduced unique French haute creations. “Those things were very new, and people were not subjected to these kinds of tastes. So, a lot of education went in to help people understand what we were doing. However, over the years, I feel that with experimental cuisines expanding in India, people are now more open to trying out new flavours and foods,” she adds.

For someone who always wanted to offer something different, she started La Folie with a focus on natural flavours and says that now people appreciate their philosophy of using natural ingredients and the unique taste they bring. “My affair with chocolate began as a passionate hobby and soon cascaded into a magical journey of discovering myself through craft chocolate, a journey that led me on an adventurous road trip to numerous cacao farms across the world, to its native origins! The deeper I go, the more intrigued I am. Even chocolate tasting for me is not just biting into that heavenly piece but it is about setting on the journey of Emotions, Conversations, and Nostalgia. The more you taste, the more you indulge and build experiences with yourself and with others,” she adds.

'Chocolate tech'

In 2017, after a leg injury, Patel revisited the concept of making her own craft chocolate as she wanted to offer a different sensorial journey and taste to the Indian consumer and ultimately it had to be tied to the very source of chocolate, cacao. “I take an instinctive approach towards what I do, and not bounding myself by flavours, moulds, or recipes, but find my inspiration in trends, my journey, and experiences that have influenced me. I have always strived to explore ingredients and chocolates at the core, experimenting with ways to create an experience for the patrons. Also, as a Chocolate Technologist, I have not bound myself just to taste profiles, but have also collaborated with product designers to create customised chocolate moulds that elevate the chocolate experience to an art form,” she says. Incidentally, in 2016, she introduced a heartfelt journey ‘Down the Memory Lane’ with the creation of ‘Grandma’s Carrot Cake’ and this nostalgic masterpiece served as a heartfelt tribute to her grandmother.

Gender bender

For someone who has not seen gender biases, and in fact has never seen herself as being different as a female, Patel believes in making an impact and creating sustainable growth and a future for one’s vision and one’s passion. “I feel blessed having to do that slowly and steadily and changing chefs' and global culinary enthusiasts' approach to chocolate. It’s a happy place for me to see my customer's appreciation for our products and indirectly how it impacts at the farm level. I wish to continue doing that and building a stronger sustainable network across this field,” she avers. In her journey she has learnt many life lessons and one of them being the most important is to follow your vision and not get entangled in the vicious world of competition. “Staying and believing true to your identity will always take you forward strongly in a long way and yes always be willing to share knowledge and learn from others - there is nothing in withholding and being conservative about how your knowledge will be used,” she advises.

Looking ahead

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Now, one of the most important tasks for her is to work towards creating farmer co-operative programmes that can benefit the farmers to raise funds and improve crop fertility. “We also want to work towards government support through grants, funds and sponsorships for the post-harvesting process and crop yields. We want to create a supply chain system for the farmers where they can liaise with other chocolate makers with pre-order systems. This will empower the farmers to have economic support and eradicate uncertainty,” she says. And she is looking at making La Folie products available across tier one and tier two cities, as well as export orders for European and Middle Eastern countries. As someone who straddles the tightrope of nostalgia with global inspirations, Patel is making the case for craft chocolate in her own unique way.

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Sundar Pichai: The Indian-origin CEO who made Google more global

(June 26, 2022) Sundar Pichai, the CEO of tech giant Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc hardly needs any introduction. Interestingly, the email service provided by Google, Gmail, was launched on the very day Pichai joined the company – April 1, 2004. Unaware of this new product, he admitted his ignorance in the job interview of the organisation. Luckily for Pichai, that moment of uncertainty got viewed as one of the qualities that Laszlo Bock, Google’s former senior VP of people operations was looking for in a candidate. Bock remembers Sundar Pichai as the candidate with "intellectual humility”. Today, Pichai’s meteoric rise from humble beginnings to a top CEO is a success story that people cherish globally. [caption id="attachment_26171" align="alignnone" width="1107"] Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO[/caption] The first non-white CEO of Google also serves on Alphabet’s Board of Directors. He has been focused on developing products and services with the vision to be of value in all big and little moments of people’s lives. Talking at Google’s flagship I/O Developers Conference 2022, Pichai informed: “Throughout the pandemic, Google has focused on delivering accurate information to help people stay healthy. Over the last year, people used Google Search and Maps to

in all big and little moments of people’s lives.

Talking at Google’s flagship I/O Developers Conference 2022, Pichai informed:

“Throughout the pandemic, Google has focused on delivering accurate information to help people stay healthy. Over the last year, people used Google Search and Maps to find where they could get a COVID vaccine nearly two billion times!”

His zeal for leadership with purpose got recognised in India in the form of Padma Bhushan award 2022. Global Indian turns its spotlight on the journey of the man who inspires millions.

The academic flight

Ironically, the CEO of American multinational technology company has not studied computer science, rather metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur. Coincidentally, he has also studied inside the campus of IIT Chennai. His school, Vana Vani happened to be located inside the sprawling Chennai campus.

[caption id="attachment_26157" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Indian CEO | Sundar Pichai | Global Indian Sundar Pichai interacting with IIT Kharagpur students in one of his India visits.[/caption]

Sundar Pichai celebrated his 50th birthday on the 10th of this month. Born in 1972, he was raised in a middle-class household. His father Raghunath worked as an electrical engineer at General Electric Company (GEC), while his mother Lakshmi was a stenographer. After passing out from IIT Kharagpur, Pichai earned a master's degree in material sciences and engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His father had to spend a year’s salary to buy a plane ticket for him to go to the US for his studies. That was the middle-class lad’s first flight journey. The sincere student did not let his parents down and got recognised in his foreign academic institutions as one of the best in the batch.

Foundation of the effervescent leader

Before his association with Google, Pichai worked at Allied Materials and McKinsey & Co. Though both the organisations specialised in metallurgy, the stints groomed him well. He picked up the nuances of product strategy, execution, and team building that eventually set the foundation for his pivotal beginnings at Google. Pichai nurtured his career by aligning it to Google’s success.

“We try to work on things that billions of people will use every day”

No wonder Google is part of everyday conversations and happens to be a significant part of the vocabulary of kids and adults alike across the world!

[caption id="attachment_26172" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Indian CEO | Sundar Pichai | Global Indian Sundar Pichai with Nigerian Google team during his visit to Africa[/caption]

It has established itself as the organisation that cares with breakthroughs like use of ML to make web images more accessible to people who have vision problems. It generates real-time captions for online videos to help those who struggle with hearing.

Rise and rise of Google under Pichai’s leadership

Sundar Pichai joined Google as its vice-president of product management. He was entrusted with the responsibility of development of Google Toolbar and Google Chrome. These went on to become the world’s most popular internet browser. Undoubtedly, with these quantum leaps, Sundar Pichai climbed the hierarchical ladder. He launched Chrome OS and Chromebook in 2011 and went on to launch Android operating system in 2013. By 2014, the super talented Indian-origin professional was leading all products and engineering divisions at Google, overseeing vital platforms like Search, Gmail, Chrome, Play, Android, Maps, and Google Workspace.

[caption id="attachment_26158" align="aligncenter" width="803"] Indian CEO | Sundar Pichai | Global Indian From Left to right : Larry Page (Google's co-founder), Sundar Pichai (Google's CEO), Narendra Modi (India's PM), Eric Schmidt (Google's former CEO), and Ram Shriram (American businessman)[/caption]

When Google reorganized into Alphabet in August 2015, Sundar Pichai got selected as its CEO. In December 2019, he became the CEO of both Google and Alphabet, replacing founder Larry Page. In 2021, under Pichai’s leadership, Alphabet crossed $2 trillion in market value due to sales and profit growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Building impact with powerful breakthroughs

Bringing the world together through different platforms, and giving unique experiences to people has always been the core of what Sundar Pichai and his team thrive upon.

While talking about war drift Ukrainians at Google I/O Developers Conference 2022, he remarked:

“In countries around the world, Google Translate has been a crucial tool for newcomers and residents trying to communicate with one another. We’re proud of how it’s helping Ukrainians find a bit of hope and connection (in countries where they have taken refuge) until they are able to return home again.”

While many other technology giants embrace the metaverse as the next frontier of growth, Sundar Pichai sees Google’s future in its oldest offering - the Internet search. He foresees people asking computers more questions with voice and multimodal experiences.

From overseeing new investments like acquisition of YouTube and launching of Google Cloud, Pichai leads the organisation by advancing AI, digital technology, machine learning and quantum computing.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=NJ-juLXoFxM&list=PLjq6DwYksrzyHa9RtflCUniCMTFG4twFD

"AI can make humans more productive than we ever imagined," he remarked in the conference stressing that it can play a foundational role in every aspect of people’s lives, right from healthcare, education, manufacturing to how people consume information. Emphasizing on the significance of ML he said, “When machines would be programmed to simulate human mind, mimic human activity and solve problems, it will have a bigger impact than most of the breakthroughs in recent history."

Matters close to heart…

Keeping India close to his heart, Pichai has led Google to invest in the foundational infrastructure of the country by developing technology specific to its needs. Google Pay app is one such example. “India will be a global player in the digital economy,” he concluded in an interview.

In a statement the California, headquartered company has mentioned that it will invest ₹109 crore to support healthcare facilities and a further ₹3.6 crore to upskill frontline workers in India. The tech giant has entered into a tie-up with NGOs like GiveIndia, ARMMAN, PATH and Apollo Medskills to fulfill these commitments.

In the last five years, Google has granted funds to the tune of $57 million to India. Out of this $18 million was part of Covid 19 response.  In April 2020, Pichai made personal contribution of ₹5 crore to GiveIndia so that the country can fight the first wave of pandemic.

Love and life

Keeping his private life pretty private, Pichai stays with his wife Anjali who happens to be his heartthrob and classmate from IIT Kharagpur, son Kiran and daughter Kavya in California. The cricket buff is a Sachin Tendulkar fan. The love for the game comes from childhood aspiration to be a cricketer. As a high school student, he was the captain of the school cricket team, displaying his leadership skills on the field.

[caption id="attachment_26161" align="aligncenter" width="849"] Indian CEO | Sundar Pichai | Global Indian Sundar Pichai trying his hands at cricket[/caption]

Pichai’s love for sports does not end at cricket. He is also an ardent fan of FC Barcelona – the football club and seldom misses to watch it’s match when its competing on field.

The top CEO recently admitted in one of the interviews of the Wall Street Journal that he is not very good at meditation. Instead, he prefers NSDR (non-sleep deep rest), listening to podcasts or taking his dog for a walk.

Do you know how Sundar Pichai connects people?

Google’s flood forecasting technology sent flood alerts to 23 million people in India and Bangladesh in 2021 helping in timely evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.
Around the world, Google Maps has mapped around 1.6 billion buildings and over 60 million kilometers of roads to date with the vision to keep everyone within the reach, and make the world a well-connected chain of individuals.
The number of buildings on Google Maps in Africa has increased by 5X. Google has made a dataset of these buildings publicly available so that international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank can use it to better understand population density and to provide support and emergency assistance.
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Globetrotting with a purpose: Anil Srivatsa is raising awareness on organ donation

(September 12, 2022) "My biggest challenge in the journey has been people," says Anil Srivastsa, "Most people are ready to donate money to an organisation such as Akshaya Patra because they feed people. But, when I tell them that they should donate their organ to others, they are hesitant as they do not have enough knowledge about it." Having dedicated his life to the cause of organ donation, public speaker Anil's biggest challenge has been to raise awareness about a subject he says "is more of a social issue than medical." [caption id="attachment_29267" align="aligncenter" width="557"] Anil Srivastsa, public speaker, life coach and entrepreneur[/caption] The Mumbai-born life coach and entrepreneur embarked on this journey about seven years ago, after a fateful incident. "In 2014, my brother, Dr. Arjun Srivatsa was diagnosed with chronic renal failure. During his treatment, we got to know that he will require a transplant. When the doctor consulted us, I was more than happy to donate one of my kidneys. However, the more I researched organ donation in India, the more I found how people were not only hesitant but also ignorant about how transplant works. Many didn't know that donors can lead a healthy, normal life

. However, the more I researched organ donation in India, the more I found how people were not only hesitant but also ignorant about how transplant works. Many didn't know that donors can lead a healthy, normal life after they donated their kidney or part of their liver. Also, many people shy away from donating organs of their relatives who have passed away. I am working towards dispelling the myths around the matter," he shares, as Anil connects with Global Indian from the USA.

In the last seven years, Anil has undertaken several overland expeditions to raise awareness about the matter. Covering thousands of kilometres, the entrepreneur has driven across 44 countries by road, including Denmark, Central Asia, Myanmar, USA , sharing his story with over 1,50,000 people and encouraging them to donate organs. A gold medalist at the World Transplant Games, Anil is also the founder of the NGO Gift of Life Adventure.

Inspired by a fateful event

Growing up in a fauji household, Anil shares that he was brought up in a disciplined environment. "I had a very normal upbringing. My father was in the Indian Navy and my mother was a journalist. She would take me and my brother along for the interviews she took, so I was well-exposed to the world and that allowed me to learn about several things that kids my age didn't get to learn at school."

After finishing his bachelor's in criminology from Mysuru, Anil left for Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, where he pursued a master's in telecommunication management in 1993. His first job was at Medstar Television Inc as the head of production and research for the first-ever reality-based forensic series on television which used a 'murder mystery approach’ to documentary storytelling. He later produced and hosted a radio show, Anil ki Awaaz, which was aired in North America. "I have a career spanning over 35 to 40 years. And in those years, I have worked in various companies and held many senior positions," shares the public speaker, who was also the CEO of the Indian Premier League team, Kings XI Punjab.

[caption id="attachment_29269" align="aligncenter" width="460"] Public speaker | Anil Srivastsa | Global Indian Anil at the WPRB studios. 1999[/caption]

Anil's life turned around when his brother was diagnosed with a kidney disorder. Speaking about his first introduction to organ donation, he says, "In 2001, when I was living in the United States, my neighbour donated her kidney to her sister-in-law. While I had heard about organ donation, it was the first time that I witnessed it. However, I didn't delve deep into the subject back then. It was only when the doctors informed us that they will have to transplant Arjun's kidney is when I started researching the subject."

Impacting lives

Soon after his brother's successful surgery, Anil started spreading the word about organ donation and how it can save several lives across the globe. However, it was an uphill task initially as people not just lacked basic knowledge on the subject but many were hesitant due to several social stigmas. "The religious and spiritual leaders have a great role to play in encouraging people to come forward and donate vital organs." Narrating an incident, the public speaker, shares, "I once met a couple of a particular community, which doesn't even allow blood donations. When I asked them what would they do if their child needed a blood transfusion, they said that they would let them die if that is what the god wished."

[caption id="attachment_29271" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Public speaker | Anil Srivastsa | Global Indian Anil, during his expedition in Antarctica[/caption]

Several such conversations with people from different regions and communities motivated Anil to embark on this extraordinary journey. And up till now, he has impacted over one lakh people by encouraging them to donate their organs. Speaking about one such incident, he says, "My car is decorated with various slogans and messages about organ donation. So, once while I was in Gujarat, I was spotted and stopped by a couple whose daughter was diagnosed with a liver disorder and needed a transplant. Despite several attempts, they weren't able to find a donor. When I got to know about the case and met the medical team handling the case, I spoke to the family about how a live person can also donate a part of their life - something they didn't know about. The mother agreed to donate her liver, and today that girl is studying to become a lawyer."

Donning many hats

The public speaker, who is currently on a 56,000 km drive, is on his way to take part in the 'World Transplant Games' that will be held in Australia in 2023. "I have been representing India at the World Transplant Games - which is held for either donors or recipients of an organ. In 2019, I won gold for India in ball throwing. My brother, Arjun, also won gold in golf. In a lighter vein, it was my own kidney winning the gold because he has one of mine." laughs Anil.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ellKTD6FvL8

Anil is also the founder of Sochcast, which is a content creation and distribution platform, especially for women. "I also started Radiowalla Network, which is the most scalable, dynamic, and valuable internet audio distribution and content platform," he shares before signing off.

Follow Anil Srivatsa in Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and his website

Reading Time: 7 mins