‘India can be a shining example’: Google CEO Sundar Pichai lauds UPI, Aadhaar

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai believes that India is a shining example of harnessing technical prowess and government-backed entities such as the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Aadhaar to create open and connected stacks. 

In an interview with The Economic Times, Pichai said,  “Look at what India has accomplished with the UPI, Aadhaar, and the payments stack, and you will see the value of having an open, connected stack which works. And that is what the internet is. Having responsible regulation which preserves all of this are some of the core elements.”

He also forecasts that India will be a successful exporter in this digital economy while adding he sees a balance in the proposals by the Indian government so far. Pichai further said that Google’s partnership with the Indian government will be a constructive one. 

The Google and Alphabet CEO further gave his two cents on draft regulations such as the Telecom Bill, New Data Bill, and revision of the IT Act. Pichai mentioned that given the scale and role of technology in today’s time and age, governments across the world have a right to ensure citizen security and privacy. 

His comments came after Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Data Protection Bill, Telecom Bill, and Digital India Bill are likely to be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament. 

He stated categorically that the Data Protection Bill and the Digital India Bill will lay the impetus for creating a robust platform to gain maximum advantage from artificial intelligence (AI). The telecom bill, on the other hand, will focus on user protection. 

The minister told reporters on the sidelines of the Google for India 2022 event, “The two bills, which have been put up for consultation, should be completed by July-August. These should pass the Parliament.” Vaishnaw added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a clear target of creating a comprehensive regulatory framework and the entire exercise should be completed within a period of 14-16 months. 

During his visit to India, Pichai also met Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar. He also met Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the Google for India 2022 event.

Also read: Data Protection Bill, Telecom Bill, Digital India Bill may be tabled in monsoon session, says union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Also read: Google for India 2022: Sundar Pichai makes a big push for AI, says it will have profound impact on India