What is the life history of Sundar Pichai?

Sundar Pichai, whose full name is Pichai Sundararajan, has a remarkable life history marked by his rise from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most influential figures in the tech industry.

Early Life and Education

• Sundar Pichai was born on June 10, 1972, in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, to a Tamil Brahmin family. His father, Regunatha Pichai, was an electrical engineer, and his mother, Lakshmi, was a stenographer54.
• He grew up in a two-room apartment in Chennai, where he and his younger brother slept in the living room. Despite the modest living conditions, Pichai showed a keen interest in technology from an early age, particularly in electrical items like telephones and refrigerators. He was known for his exceptional memory, able to recall phone numbers he had dialed45.
• Pichai attended Vana Vani Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai for his secondary education. After completing his 12th grade, he moved to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, where he earned a B.Tech in Metallurgical Engineering. During his time at IIT Kharagpur, he met his future wife, Anjali, and won a silver medal for his academic achievements25.

Higher Education and Early Career

• Following his graduation from IIT Kharagpur, Pichai received a scholarship to pursue an M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University. He later earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was recognized as a Siebel Scholar and a Palmer Scholar235.
• Before joining Google, Pichai worked as a materials engineer at Applied Materials and later as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company135.

Career at Google

• Pichai joined Google in 2004 as a product manager, initially working on the Google Toolbar. He quickly rose through the ranks, leading the development of Google Chrome and ChromeOS, and overseeing the development of other key products such as Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Maps135.
• In 2010, he announced the open-sourcing of the VP8 video codec and introduced the WebM video format. He also played a crucial role in the release of the Chromebook in 201213.
• In 2013, Pichai took over the management of Android, which was previously overseen by Andy Rubin13.
• By 2014, Pichai was responsible for product, engineering, and research efforts across all of Google’s products and platforms, including Search, Maps, Communications, Google Play, and more3.
• On August 10, 2015, Pichai was selected to become the next CEO of Google, a position he assumed on October 24, 2015, following the formation of Alphabet Inc., the new holding company for the Google family of companies135.

Leadership at Alphabet Inc.

• In addition to his role as Google CEO, Pichai was appointed to the Alphabet Board of Directors in 2017. In December 2019, he was named the CEO of Alphabet Inc., succeeding Larry Page13.

Personal Life

• Pichai is married to Anjali Pichai, whom he met during his time at IIT Kharagpur. They have two children, a son named Kiran and a daughter4.
• He is an avid cricket fan and has expressed his enthusiasm for the sport on several occasions5.

Sundar Pichai's journey is a testament to his hard work, innovative spirit, and leadership abilities, which have propelled him to the top of the tech industry.