The CEO of Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. The accolade was presented during a special ceremony in San Francisco, recognizing Pichai’s monumental contributions to the digital landscape and his role in enhancing global technology accessibility.
IIT Kharagpur tweeted, “In a momentous occasion of pride, @IITKgp honored @sundarpichai with Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) Award in San Francisco.” The honorary degree was conferred by President Droupadi Murmu during the 69th Convocation of IIT-Kharagpur in December last year. However due to Pichai’s prior commitments, a dedicated ceremony was organized in the U.S. to award the degree.
In a momentous occasion of pride @IITKgp honoured Shri @sundarpichai with Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) Award & Mrs. Anjali Pichai with Distinguished Alumnus Award in San Francisco.He said 'Last week I was grateful to receive an honorary doctorate from my alma mater @IITKgp.' pic.twitter.com/uMCzcgPy6t
— IIT Kharagpur #StaySafe (@IITKgp) July 26, 2024
The award ceremony was attended by notable alumni, including Vinod Gupta and Ranbir Gupta, along with Rintu Banerjee, deputy director, and Debashish Chakravarty, dean of alumni affairs at IIT Kharagpur.
V K Tewari, director of IIT Kharagpur, presented the award to Pichai in the presence of his parents, Regunatha and Lakshmi Pichai, and daughter, Kavya Pichai. Tewari stated, “His achievements exemplify the spirit of innovation and excellence that IIT Kharagpur seeks to instill in its students. We are privileged to recognize his outstanding contributions to the global technology industry.”
Sundar Pichai expressed his gratitude, stating, “Last week I was grateful to receive an honorary doctorate from my alma mater IIT Kharagpur. My parents always hoped I would get my doctorate; I think an honorary one still counts. The access to education and technology at IIT put me on a path to Google and helping more people access technology.”
The award highlights Pichai's significant impact on the technology sector and his dedication to innovation. Sundar Pichai, a B.Tech (Hons) in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from IIT Kharagpur, has been recognized with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India. His leadership at Google and Alphabet has driven significant technological advancements and global economic growth.
Reflecting on the honor, Sundar Pichai added, “IIT Kharagpur holds a special place in my heart as it was where I met my beloved wife, Anjali, and created beautiful memories. I am grateful to my institute for rewarding me with this award and look forward to connecting with IIT KGP to manifest greater technological solutions in partnership with Google.”
Anjali Pichai, who was also honored during the ceremony, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award. An accomplished professional in her own right, Anjali holds a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur and has had a successful career in business operations, including roles at Accenture, Sun Microsystems, and Intuit. Her contributions to the technology and business sectors complement the achievements of her husband, further underscoring the couple's impactful legacy.
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