'Technology, My Hair': Sundar Pichai Lists Out What Has Changed On 20th Anniversary At Google

Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and Alphabet, took to Instagram to celebrate his two decades at Google. He joined Google in 2004 as the head of product management and development. Over the years, he has been credited with leading projects like the creation of Google Chrome and ChromeOS, and the development of applications such as Gmail and Google Maps. He is also held responsible for developing Google Drive. Pichai was appointed the CEO of Google and Alphabet in 2015 by co-founder and former CEO Larry Page. Before being the CEO. he held the position of Product Chief.

On Friday, Pichai shared a photo of balloons that spelt 20, kept with his two Google ID cards. He wrote, “April 26, 2004 was my first day at Google. A lot has changed since then – technology, the number of people who use our products … my hair. What hasn’t changed – the thrill I get from working at this amazing company. 20 years in, I’m still feeling lucky.” His post got over one lakh likes in less than a day.

Commenting on it, an Instagram user wrote, “I cannot decide on which achievement is greater, 20 years in all the technological improvements you’ve brought or the fact that you haven’t gone bald after 20 years in tech.” Another person said, “Epitome of excellence, I love you my role model.”

Amongst the congratulatory messages, many people criticised Pichai for mass lay-offs at Google in recent years that rendered hundreds of people unemployed. Many of the people who were laid off had worked in the company for over a decade. Expressing this sentiment, an Instagram user wrote, “Good to know you weren’t affected by the massive tech layoffs (or how corporations like to say, “restructuring”) in recent months!” Another person asked, “And all of A sudden you receive a termination letter, how will you feel? Where will you start from? Again.”

Pichai earned a degree in metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur and went on to study material science and engineering at Stanford University where he earned an MS degree. He later secured an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he became a Siebel Scholar and a Palmer Scholar. In 2022, he received the third-highest civilian award the Padma Bhushan in the category of Trade and Industry from the Government of India.