San Francisco/IBNS: Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai was awarded the Padma Bhushan - India’s third-highest civilian award - for 2022 in the Trade and Industry category on Friday.

India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu handed over the award in the presence of his close family members in San Francisco.

On the eve of the 73rd Republic Day, the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that Sundar Pichai would be conferred with Padma Bhushan.

After receiving the Padma Bhushan award from Sandhu, Pichai in his blog said, "I want to thank Ambassador Mr Sandhu and Consul General Prasad for hosting me to receive the Padma Bhushan. I am deeply grateful to the Indian government and the people of India for this immense honour. It is incredibly meaningful to be honoured in this way by the country that shaped me.

“India is a part of me and I carry it with me wherever I go. I was fortunate to grow up in a family that cherished learning and knowledge, with parents who sacrificed a lot to make sure I had opportunities to explore my interests."

Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India vision, Pichai said that Digital India's vision has certainly been an accelerator for that progress.

He also said that he felt proud to continue its investment in India, partnering with governments, businesses and communities over two transformative decades.

“It’s been so amazing to return to India many times over the years to see the rapid pace of technological change. Increasingly the innovations created in India are benefitting people around the world — from digital payments to voice technology,” he said appreciating India’s rapid growth in digitalisation.

Businesses are seizing the opportunities for digital transformation, and more people have access to the internet than ever before, including in rural villages, he noted.

"We recently announced that we'll be investing USD 10 billion in India's digital future, working to enable more affordable internet access, building products for India's unique needs, helping businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation, and using AI to tackle big societal challenges," Google CEO said.

Talking about digital skilling, Pichai said Google has trained over 1 million women through our WomenWill Entrepreneurship Program and over 55,000 teachers in partnership with the government and local organizations. “We've also sponsored over 100,000 Google Career Certificate sponsorships in collaboration with the NASSCOM Foundation and Tata Strive."

He further stated, "Earlier this year, we added 24 new languages to Google Translate using a new advancement in machine learning. Eight of them are languages native to India. It means so much to see how people can access information and knowledge in their preferred language, and see the world open up to them in new ways.”

"That's why I continue to be so optimistic about technology, and why I believe India can and must continue to lead," he added.

Pichai said he looks forward to continuing the great partnership between Google and India, as we work together to bring the benefits of technology to more people.