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Sundar Pichai Education: Biography, Life Story, Qualification, Birth Place and Unknown Facts

Nikita Parmar

Updated on 07th November, 2024 , 8 min read

Sundar Pichai Education

Sundar Pichai Education: Who is Sundar Pichai?

Sundar Pichai was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, on June 10, 1972. Pichai's full name is Pichai Sundararajan. He is a prominent business leader best known as Google Inc.'s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and also the CEO of Alphabet Inc., the firm's parent corporation. Pichai has received widespread acclaim for his leadership, abilities, and product vision. He is credited with popularizing the Android operating system.

Pichai showed an early interest in technology and an exceptional recall, particularly for phone digits. After graduating from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur with a degree in metallurgy (B.Tech,1993) and a silver medal (M.S.), he was awarded a scholarship to Stanford University.  He stayed in the United States after that, temporarily working for Applied Materials (a supplier of semiconductor materials) before receiving an M.B.A. (2002) from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. He is married to Anjali Pichai, a graduate of Kasturba Medical College in Manipal and a native of Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

Sundar Pichai Education: Biography of Sundar Pichai

The following details are of Sundar Pichai- 

Full Name 

Pichai Sundararajan

Date of Birth

June 10, 1972 (age 50)

Place of Birth 

Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Nationality 

Indian born American

Education 

B.Tech from IIT Kharagpur

MS from Stanford University

MBA from the University of Pennsylvania

Citizenship 

United States

Parents and Siblings Name 

Regunatha Pichai (father)

Lakshmi Pichai (mother)

Srinivasan Pichai (Younger Brother)

Current Position 

CEO of Google and Alphabet

Spouse Name 

Anjali Pichai

No. of Children 

2 children 

Kavya Pichai (Daughter) 

Kiran Pichai (Son)

Awards

Padma Bhushan

Twitter Profile 

Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) / Twitter

Sundar Pichai Education: Family Background of Sundar Pichai

Sundar Pichai's parents' names are Regunatha Pichai and Lakshmi Pichai. He graduated from Jawahar Vidyalaya (Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya) and the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. On December 19, 2003, he married Anjali Pichai. He has two children, Kiran Pichai and Kavya Pichai. Sundar is an American citizen who lives in America with his family. He formerly worked for Google Inc., Android Inc., and other companies. Sundar Pichai comes from an engineering family. Pichai's father worked as an electrical engineer for the British company General Electric Company (GEC). Sundar Pichai's mother was also a working lady. She worked as a stenographer.

Sundar Pichai Education: The Education Journey of Sundar Pichai

  1. Pichai showed a strong interest in technology from an early age, particularly through electrical items like telephones and refrigerators. 
  2. Everyone was startled by Pichai's instinctive ability to remember a wide range of phone numbers. 
  3. He completed Class XII at IIT Madras after graduating from Vana Vani School.
  4. Sundar Pichai obtained a B.Tech in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur.
  5. He completed his coaching at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, a Central Board of Secondary Education institution in Chennai's Ashok Nagar.
  6. Stanford University awarded him an M.S. in materials science and design.
  7. He then earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, where he was recognized as a Siebel Scholar and a Palmer Scholar.
  8. Pichai started his career as a materials engineer.
  9. He joined Google in 2004 and rose through the ranks to become CEO in 11 years.

1. Sundar Pichai studied what after 12th grade?

Sundar Pichai graduated from Vana Vani Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai, India, in the 12th grade. He then attended the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur to study metallurgical engineering. Following graduation, Pichai worked in applied materials and semiconductor processing for a few years. He subsequently opted to pursue his MBA at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Pichai worked in management consulting for a few years after finishing his MBA before joining Google in 2004.

2. Education at IIT Kharagpur

With a passion for science and technology and a desire to contribute to the field, he was able to gain admission to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. In 1993, he chose to pursue a BTech in Metallurgical Engineering. He met his wife, Anjali at IIT Kharagpur.

3. Education at Stanford University

Sundar Pichai's silver award-winning scholarship, which allowed him to pursue his dream school at the prestigious Stanford University, was a watershed moment in his education. He was eager to seek a Ph.D. from Stanford on a comparable topic as soon as he finished his master's degree. Pichai went on to seek a Ph.D. degree, but eventually dropped out and began his career as a Product Manager and Engineer in the field of Applied Materials.

Sundar Pichai Education: Sundar Pichai's Significant Success

Sundar Pichai's career trajectory demonstrates his remarkable talent, leadership abilities, and strategic vision. Following his further education, Pichai began on a professional path that would eventually bring him to the head of one of the world's most powerful technological corporations.  Pichai began his career in technology in 1996, when he joined Applied Materials, a semiconductor manufacturer, as an engineer. He obtained considerable skills in semiconductor technology and product management while working at Applied Materials.  Pichai became a product manager at Google in 2004, when the firm was still very new but fast developing. His early efforts at Google helped shape the company's core technologies, including Google Chrome, the world's most popular web browser, and Google Drive, a cloud storage service. 

Pichai's leadership and strategic ideas drew the attention of Google's senior management, resulting in his swift rise through the ranks. In 2013, he was named Senior Vice President of Android, Google's mobile operating system, where he supervised Android's development and expansion into a worldwide platform with billions of users. Sundar Pichai accomplished a career milestone in 2015 when he was appointed CEO of Google, succeeding co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. As CEO, Pichai was in charge of overseeing Google's extensive portfolio of goods and services, which included Search, Maps, YouTube, Android, Chrome, and Google Cloud. 

Under Pichai's leadership, Google continues to innovate and expand its influence across numerous disciplines, from artificial intelligence and machine learning to cloud computing and driverless cars. His strategic efforts centered on harnessing Google's technology capabilities to tackle challenging problems and provide value for users, companies, and society as a whole. Pichai's job extended in 2019 when he was made CEO of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent firm, following a corporate reorganization. In this dual post, Pichai oversaw Alphabet's varied portfolio of companies, which included Google, Waymo (self-driving vehicles), Verily (life sciences), and other moonshot initiatives. Sundar Pichai has received several accolades for his outstanding leadership, strategic intelligence, and dedication to innovation.

Sundar Pichai Education: Awards and Recognition 

Sundar Pichai's stint as CEO of Google and Alphabet has been defined by a number of important accomplishments and contributions, cementing his position as a visionary leader in the technology sector. Pichai has spearheaded several major milestones and projects, including:  

  • Google's Product Portfolio Expansion: Under Pichai's leadership, Google's product portfolio has grown to include a diverse variety of services such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and hardware goods including Pixel smartphones and Nest smart home devices. 
  • Focus on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Pichai has pushed for the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology across Google's goods and services. Google has proved its leadership in AI research and application with initiatives such as Google Assistant, Google Photos, and TensorFlow. 
  • Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility: Pichai has spearheaded Google's initiatives to combat climate change and promote environmental sustainability. Google has committed to utilizing 100% renewable energy to power its data centers and offices, as well as investing in projects to minimize carbon emissions and encourage environmental conservation.
  • Support for Diversity and Inclusion: Pichai has been a strong supporter for diversity and inclusion in the technology sector. He has launched steps to enhance diversity in Google's workforce, such as recruiting programs for underrepresented groups and efforts to close gender pay gaps.

Sundar Pichai Education: Unknown Facts about Sundar Pichai

Here are some facts about Google's CEO-

  1. Sundar Pichai says that he was repeatedly and aggressively contacted by Twitter and Microsoft while working at Google, but was subsequently offered large compensation packages to stay.
  2. Pichai grew up with a mother who worked as a stenographer and a father who was an electrical engineer at GEC in India.
  3. Pichai grew up in a modest two-room apartment with his family, missing basic comforts like a refrigerator, and recalls a drought that occurred during his childhood. Pichai still can't sleep without a glass of water by his bedside.
  4. Sundar Pichai met his now-wife Anjali Pichai at IIT Kharagpur, and the couple married later.
  5. Pichai was a voracious reader who used to devour anything and everything. 
  6. He enjoys both cricket and football.

Sundar Pichai Education: Salary of Google CEO Sundar Pichai

  1. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, is one of the highest-paid CEOs in the world.
  2. Much of his fortune stems from his role as CEO of Google, where he has earned hundreds of millions of dollars in stock options and other remuneration. 
  3. He also has a variety of other assets, such as real estate and investments.
  4. When it comes to 2020, Google's annual proxy filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission reveals that Sundar Pichai's basic compensation is $20 million (about 14.6 crore INR) as he was elevated to Alphabet CEO. 
  5. Pichai's basic pay in 2019 was previously estimated to be around 6.5 million dollars (about 51.64 crores INR). 

Sundar Pichai Education: Net Worth 2024

As of January 17, 2024, Sundar Pichai's estimated net worth is a remarkable $1.66 billion. His net worth comes from his position being a CEO and Director at Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google. Salary, bonuses, stock options and other incentives. He is amongst the highest paid CEOs worldwide. 

Some Less Known Facts about Sundar Pichai

Here are some lesser-known facts about Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google:

  1. Initial Technology Interest: Sundar Pichai was always interested in technology from an early age. He is said to have been very fond of gadgets and how they worked and would even go to the extent of assembling his first radio at just 12 years of age.
  2. Stanford Scholarship: He was granted a scholarship by Stanford University to pursue his postgraduate studies wherein he completed a Master's in Material Sciences and Engineering.
  3. MBA from Wharton: He did his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His accomplishments included being a Siebel Scholar and a Palmer Scholar conferred upon the top 5% of students.
  4. Joined Google in 2004: Sundar Pichai joined Google back in 2004 as a Product Manager. He initially worked on Google Toolbar and finally led the development of Google Chrome.
  5. Developed Google Chrome: Pichai played a key role in the development and creation of Google Chrome, one of the most popular web browsers worldwide.
  6. Humble Leadership: Pichai is known to be a calm fellow and has a humble style of leadership, often speaking on empathy, inclusion, and the value of listening to those around him.
  7. Soccer Fan: Sundar Pichai is a known soccer fan and ardent supporter of the Chennaiyin FC, an Indian Super League football club headquartered in Chennai, India.
  8. Pichai is married to Anjali Pichai. Pichai and his wife have two children. She is a business operations manager at Intuit.
  9. The Hugely Paid CEO: Pichai finds a place among the top-paid CEOs all over the world, receiving millions as base salary as well as equity in every paycheck. 
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