'PM Modi's vision for Digital India was way ahead of its time,' says Google CEO Sundar Pichai

After a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, Google chief executive Sundar Pichai praised Modi's vision for Digital India, stating that it was ahead of its time and other countries are following it.

Google to open fintech operation centre in Gujarat

Indian-origin Sundar Pichai met PM Modi on the fourth and last day of his State visit to the US. He said, “It was an honour to meet PM Modi during the historic visit to the US. We shared with the Prime Minister that Google is investing $10 billion in India's digitisation fund. We are announcing the opening of our global fintech operation centre in GIFT City, Gujarat. PM’s vision for Digital India was way ahead of his time; I now see it as a blueprint that other countries are looking to follow.”

PM Modi with top business leaders

On the last leg of the official tour, PM Modi met several top business leaders, including Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy, Mahindra and Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra, and Boeing CEO David Calhoun.

"Plenty of things have changed now. There is a kind of common need which I didn't see existing before. America has recognised that India is key for its own long-term prospects," said Mahindra and Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra after the meeting.

Amazon CEO Jassy mentioned that the company is considering investing $15 billion in India. “I had a very good and productive interaction with Prime Minister Modi. We have already invested $11 billion in India, with an intention to invest another $15 billion, bringing the total to $26 billion.”

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PM Modi at India-US Hi-Tech Handshake event

Earlier in the day, the Indian PM, along with US President Joe Biden, took part in the India-US Hi-Tech Handshake event. The leaders were joined by top technocrats, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and OpenAI's Chief Sam Altman.

PM Modi is scheduled to address the Indian diaspora later in the day at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington. (Follow PM Modi in US LIVE Updates)