Sundar Pichai

In March 2026, it was disclosed that Sundar Pichai could receive up to US$692 million in compensation over three years under a new performance-based and time‑based equity award plan. His annual salary remained unchanged at US$2 million, with most of the package tied to stock and performance units.

In 2022, the Government of India awarded Sundar Pichai with the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, in recognition of his contributions to trade and industry. This honor acknowledged his global achievements and roots in India.

On December 3, 2019, Sundar Pichai was named CEO of Alphabet Inc., succeeding Larry Page, while maintaining his role as CEO of Google. The co-founders stepped back from executive roles but remained on the board, solidifying Pichai’s leadership over the entire company group.

On December 11, 2018, Sundar Pichai testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on issues including privacy, political bias, and Google’s plans in China. He defended the company’s practices, stating that employees cannot influence search results and emphasizing user choice regarding data collection.

In 2017, Sundar Pichai was appointed to the Board of Directors of Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google. This elevation solidified his strategic role in guiding the broader corporate group beyond Google’s core operations.

On August 10, 2015, Google’s co-founders confirmed that Sundar Pichai would become the next CEO of Google as part of the corporate restructuring that created Alphabet Inc. He officially assumed the role on October 24, 2015, overseeing Google’s core businesses including Search, Ads, Maps, and Android.

On March 13, 2013, Sundar Pichai was given oversight of Android in addition to his existing responsibilities for Chrome and other Google products. This expansion of his role brought the world’s largest mobile operating system under his purview, marking an important step in his ascent through Google’s leadership.

In 2008, under Sundar Pichai’s leadership in product management, Google launched its own web browser, Chrome. It rapidly grew to become the most popular browser in the U.S., helping consolidate Google's dominance in search and web platform services.

After gaining experience as a materials engineer and spending a brief period at management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, Sundar Pichai joined Google in 2004. He was appointed to lead product management and innovation efforts, working initially on the Google Toolbar, which brought Google search functionality into other browsers.

Sundar Pichai completed an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. At Wharton he was named a Palmer Scholar, an honor awarded to high-performing students in the business school, signaling his strong academic and leadership promise.

During the mid-1990s, Pichai received a scholarship to pursue graduate studies in the United States, earning a Master of Science degree in materials science and engineering from Stanford University around 1995. This degree provided him with exposure to cutting-edge technology and Silicon Valley’s innovation culture.

In 1993, Sundar Pichai graduated with a Bachelor of Technology degree in metallurgical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. He was awarded a silver medal for his academic excellence. This milestone marked the completion of his formal education in India and the launch of his path toward further studies abroad.

Sundar Pichai was born on June 10, 1972, in Madurai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. He was born into a modest Tamil Hindu family; his father was an electrical engineer at GEC and his mother worked as a stenographer. His early life in Madurai, followed by schooling in Chennai, laid the foundation for his deep interest in technology and education that would define his later achievements.