Thomas Kurian, the CEO of Google Cloud, has refuted popular concerns that AI will replace tech employment, claiming that AI will enable humans to do tasks that they were previously unable to do. Kurian stressed that AI’s main function is to augment human talents rather than completely replace them in an interview with the tech newsletter Big Technology.
Kurian told Big Technology, “I think there is definitely a middle ground,” in response to forecasts of widespread automation of the workforce. He cited empirical data from Google’s Customer Engagement Suite, a set of AI-driven customer support resources introduced the previous year. When asked if they would require fewer customer support representatives, Kurian responded that “almost none of our clients have let anyone go.”
Tech Acting as a Helping Hand: Google Cloud CEO
Tasks that consumers used to completely avoid, including enquiries too trivial to justify contacting a customer support representative, are now being handled by the technology. This increase in capabilities rather than a reduction in staff is indicative of Google’s larger approach to the application of AI. “Does this mean we won’t need customer service agents anymore?” was one of the questions that clients had when Google first unveiled the Customer Engagement Suite, according to Kurian.
“The answer has been a resounding no,” he underlined. This viewpoint was reaffirmed by Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a June interview with the Lex Fridman podcast, when he disclosed that the company has observed a 10% increase in engineer productivity as a result of AI tools. Google monitors this growth by calculating the extra engineering capacity generated by AI-powered help in hours each week.
Google Planning to Hire More Engineers: Pichai
According to Pichai, Google intends to hire more engineers in the upcoming year rather than reduce its workforce. He said, “The opportunity space of what we can do is expanding,” and he expressed optimism that AI will empower engineers to engage in more creative projects by doing away with monotonous tasks. This augmentation strategy is supported by the data.
Over 30% of Google’s new code is now AI-generated, up from 25% in October, according to Pichai, who made this revelation on Alphabet’s most recent earnings call. Darren Hardman, the CEO of Microsoft UK, also said that GitHub Copilot currently contributes 40% of Microsoft’s code, allowing the company to release more products in the last 12 months than the prior three combined. Tech workers can feel reassured by Kurian’s message: AI is a tool for amplification, not eradication.
Quick Shots
•Thomas
Kurian emphasizes AI is meant to augment human skills, not eliminate
employment.
•AI
handles small, repetitive tasks, freeing staff for higher-value work.
•Google
reports a 10% increase in engineering efficiency thanks to AI tools.
•Sundar
Pichai confirms the company will hire more engineers, not reduce staff.
Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai has officially become a billionaire, which is an uncommon rise for a non-founder in the computer industry. Pichai’s current net worth of $1.1 billion, as determined by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, was solely derived from his work as a professional CEO rather than from founding equity.
Sundar Pichai’s Billionaire Status: A Rare Tech Feat
The milestone highlights the extent of Alphabet’s transition under Pichai’s leadership, as reported by Bloomberg this week. The company’s market worth has increased by more than $1 trillion in the last ten years, and since 2023, it has given stockholders a 120% return. Right now, Alphabet’s stock is at its highest point ever.
The majority of tech billionaires, such as Jensen Huang of Nvidia and Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, amassed riches by owning sizable shares in the businesses they co-founded, but Pichai’s path was very different. According to Bloomberg, Pichai owns only 0.02% of Alphabet’s stock, which is worth about $440 million. His salary, cash bonuses, and share grants from his 20 years with the company have accounted for the majority of his wealth.
From Madurai to Mountain View: Pichai’s Inspiring Journey
Pichai’s ascent has long been hailed as a classic immigrant success story. He was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, and grew up in a small two-room flat. He joined Google in 2004 and oversaw some of the company’s most important products, such as Android, which currently powers the majority of smartphones worldwide, and Google Chrome, the most popular web browser in the world.
After Google’s organisational reorganisation in 2015, Pichai was named CEO of both Google and Alphabet, the newly formed parent company. He has now been the company’s CEO for ten years, making him the longest-serving boss in its history. Alphabet has expanded under Pichai’s leadership from a firm with $75 billion in overall revenue in 2015 to one with divisions like YouTube and Google Cloud that generate a combined $110 billion in revenue annually.
The business has branched out into areas that have come to define the innovation frontier in recent years, including hardware, cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing.
Cash, Not Stock: The Uncommon Wealth Structure
Pichai became a billionaire without starting the business, which is uncommon in Silicon Valley’s wealth hierarchy. Pichai’s wealth is disproportionately concentrated in cash earnings and deferred incentives, whereas CEOs typically own millions in stock options that vest over time.
Reactions from the Tech World
He differs from peers whose net worth is primarily trapped in company shares because of that structure. Social media instantly became buzzing with news of Pichai’s financial milestone, with industry experts and tech leaders highlighting the unusualness of his journey.
In an uncommon public acknowledgement between two of the most well-known names in the world of technology, Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, wrote on X (previously Twitter) that Pichai’s ten-year tenure was “impressive.”
Regarding his status as a billionaire, Pichai has refrained from making any public remarks. He has a history of avoiding personal praise in favour of concentrating on the company’s long-term goals, team, and goods. Nevertheless, the incident is noteworthy for its reflection on contemporary corporate leadership.
Alphabet is stronger than ever after Pichai guided the firm through a number of challenging situations, such as antitrust investigations, employee activism, pandemic-related uncertainties, and a fiercely competitive AI arms race. Alphabet is one of the most valuable firms in the world, with a market capitalisation of well over $2 trillion.
Alphabet had consistent growth in its cloud business earlier this year, ramped up its Gemini AI platform to compete with Microsoft-backed OpenAI, and inked a $2.1 billion deal to acquire cybersecurity startup Mandiant.
Google’s Gemini app now offers Scheduled Actions, a new productivity-focused feature. Users with subscriptions to Google AI Pro, Google AI Ultra, and specific Google Workspace business and school accounts can now access the service, which was launched on June 10.
The update, which was first revealed at Google’s I/O 2024 developer conference, significantly expands the AI-powered functionality of the app. Gemini users can automate specific actions at predetermined periods with Scheduled Actions.
Users may now plan activities once and have the AI assistant carry them out automatically, eliminating the need to ask Gemini to do repetitive chores over and over. As a result, Gemini becomes a more proactive personal assistant rather than a reactive chatbot.
The launch is in line with what CEO Sundar Pichai said at the May I/O annual developer conference. He emphasised how Google is using AI research to make its products smarter and more customised.
In a blog post, Pichai stated that Gemini is now building with nearly seven million developers, five times as many as the previous year. The announcement is one of several enhancements to Google’s AI products that were made public on May 20.
In order to facilitate integration across other platforms and improve reasoning capabilities, the company has concentrated on developing Gemini’s multimodal comprehension.
How it Can Make Users Life More Easy?
Tasks that users can set up include getting a daily feed of unread emails and calendar appointments every morning or coming up with five new blog themes every Monday. Both one-time and recurring scheduled events are supported by the feature.
On game days, sports fans can get match updates, and others can set up Gemini to email award show summaries the next morning. The Gemini app’s settings provide a specific section for setting and managing the Scheduled Actions.
According to Google, this configuration aims to keep users structured and informed while minimising repetitive interactions. Only premium customers are currently able to use the functionality.
This covers Google AI Pro and Ultra plan users as well as specific Google Workspace accounts for businesses and educational institutions. Whether the capability will eventually be available to all users has not been confirmed by Google.
Google Making Efforts to be Different in AI Segment
Google is obviously aiming to increase productivity via Scheduled Actions. Regular updates that are automated save users time and effort by eliminating the need for human prompts.
Additionally, it demonstrates Google’s intention to set its AI assistant apart from competitors by prioritising context-aware job performance, which extends beyond text production.
Separately, it has been claimed that Google is testing brief weather summaries, another AI-powered feature in its mobile search app.
These brief explanations of the likelihood of rain, wind speeds, and temperature trends are presented in between regular forecast parts. Only a few customers in the US are able to use the service at this time.
Pichai Sundararajan, or Sundar Pichai, is an American executive and is the CEO of Alphabet Inc. and its famous subsidiary Google. He began his career as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. and joined Google in 2004.
He was in charge of the product management and innovation efforts section for Google’s client software products. This included Google Chrome, ChromeOS, and Google Drive. In 2010, he announced the open-sourcing of the new video codec VP8 by Google and the new video format, WebM.
In 2015, Pichai became the next CEO of Google and stepped into the new position after completing the formation of Alphabet Inc., the latest holding for Google’s family. In 2017, he was appointed to the Board of Directors in Alphabet Inc.
Sundar Pichai – Biography
Full Name
Pichai Sundararajan
Born
10th June, 1972
Birthplace
Madhurai, Tamil Nadu
Nationality
American
Education
Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School Vana Vanu School IIT Kharagpur (BTech) Stanford University (MS) University of Pennsylvania (MBA)
Sundar was born on 10th June 1972, in the city of Madhurai, India, into a Hindu Tamil Brahmin family. His father, Regunatha Pichai, was an electrical engineer for GEC, the British conglomerate, and his mother, Lakshmi Pichai, was a stenographer.
Sundar did his schooling at Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School in Chennai and then at Vana Vani School for Class XII. He went on to study metallurgical engineering at IIT Kharagpur and went on to do his Master’s from Stanford University in material science and engineering. He then completed his MBA from Wharton School from the University of Pennsylvania, and he was a Siebel Scholar and Palmer Scholar as well.
Sundar Pichai – Career Highlights
Sundar started his career in engineering and product management at Applied Materials and Management consulting at McKinsey & Company. He then joined Google in 2004, where he was the leader of product management and innovation for their client software products such as Google Chrome, ChromeOS, and Google Drive. He moved on to head the development of other applications such as Google Maps and Gmail.
In 2009, he gave a demonstration of ChromeOS and then released the Chromebook in 2012. In 2013, Pichai added Android to the list of products that Google oversaw. In 2015, he was selected to become the next CEO, and once Alphabet Inc. was formed, he stepped into the new position.
Sundar was the initial brains behind Google’s infamous search toolbar. The toolbar was one of the biggest reasons for the increase in user searches, but it merged with Google Chrome. Chrome went on to become one of the most-used web browsers in the world. He also worked on other Google Products, such as Google Pack and Google Gear. He is on the Board of Advisors at Ruba Inc. and headed the Jiva Software (2011-2013).
In 2014, Sundar was suggested to be a strong contender for Microsoft’s CEO 2014, but that position went to Satya Nadella. In 2019, Sundar became the CEO of Alphabet, Inc., and his compensation was over $200 million in 2022.
Sundar has been involved in multiple controversies over the years.
In 2017, he was criticized for firing a Google employee who wrote a 10-page manifesto criticizing the company’s pro-diversity policy. In the same year, he was a speaker at the World Internet Conference in China where he commented that Google works to help Chinese small and medium businesses to get their products to countries outside China.
In 2018, Sundar was called and questioned by the United States House Judiciary Committee on a wide range of Google-related issues, such as political bias on Google’s platforms, the company’s plans or censored search apps in China, and their privacy policies. As a response, Sundar commented that Google cannot influence search results and they do not have any plans for censoring searches in China.
In 2024, Google fired 28 employees who protested against Project Nimbus. As per Sundar the office is not the place to fight against disruptive issues and warned the present employees from using the brand as a personal platform.
2025 saw Google issue a response to Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s cease DEI initiatives by removing their annual cultural events such as Pride Month, Black History Month, and Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Sundar Pichai – Philanthropy
Sundar was responsible for some of Google’s philanthropic initiatives. He was responsible for participating in charitable endeavours to solve societal issues and advance global development. He helped set up Google’s charitable division, Google.org, which is actively engaged in multiple projects to use technology to solve urgent global issues.
Google for Education is another program that provides instructors and students all over the world with free resources, tools, and training opportunities.
Under his direction, Google has made a commitment to make more sustainable objectives, such as going carbon zero and running their offices on renewable energy altogether. He is also a big advocate for digital inclusiveness and has worked on projects to narrow the gap.
In 2021, Sundar was devastated to see the state of India and pledged the assistance of INR 135 Crore to Give India and UNICEF to be used for medical supplies and help spread critical information.
Sundar Pichai – Awards and Recognition
Sundar was in the Times’ Annual List of the 100 most influential people in 2016 and 2020. He was also a part of the Time 100 AI list in 2024. In 2022, he received the Padma Bhushan from the Indian Government for the Trade and Industry segment.
Sundar Pichai- Personal Life
Sundar Pichai with his Wife
Sundar is married to Anjali Pichai (nee Haryani), and they have two children. Anjali is from Kota, India, and they studied at IIT Kharagpur together. He is interested in football, cricket, chess, sketching, and watching Bollywood movies. He currently lives in Los Altos Hills, California. Sundar maintains a low profile and prefers keeping his family out of the limelight.
Sundar Pichai – Facts
Sundar has multiple degrees – a BTech in metallurgical design from IIT Kharagpur, a Master of Science from Stanford University, and an MBA from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
He loves playing soccer and cricket and loves watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
In 2014, Sundar was a major contender for Microsoft CEO, but Satya Nadella was chosen.
Sundar and Anjali are college sweethearts who met in the first year of their college.
He has an exceptional memory and can recollect all phone numbers he has ever dialled.
They have a cute pet dog, Jeffree.
FAQs
When did Sundar Pichai join Google as a manager?
Sundar Pichai joined Google in 2004 as the head of product management and development.
Is Sundar Pichai an entrepreneur?
No, Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Alphabet and Google.
Did Sundar Pichai invent Chrome?
No, Sundar Pichai didn’t invent Chrome but he was actively involved in the development of Chrome.
What did Sundar Pichai study?
Sundar Pichai studied at IIT Kharagpur and earned a degree in metallurgical engineering.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai was served with a contempt notice by a Mumbai court on 2 December. The said notice has been served regarding YouTube’s noncompliance with a court order mandating the removal of a defamatory video called “Pakhandi Baba ki Kartut.” Yogi Ashwini, the founder of the animal charity NGO Dhyan Foundation, is purportedly the target of the posted video.
The notification was sent on November 21, 2024, by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Ballard Pier. The controversy started when the Bombay High Court ordered YouTube to remove the controversial video on March 31, 2024.
How it all Started?
According to the Dhyan Foundation, the video includes offensive and defamatory content that has damaged Yogi Ashwini’s and the organisation’s reputations. The video is apparently still available outside India in spite of the court’s order. In October 2023, the Dhyan Foundation accused Google of wilfully disobeying the court order in a contempt plea. Raju Gupta, the NGO’s attorney, claims that Google has used delay tactics by requesting adjournments without good cause while reputational damage persists.
Response from YouTube
YouTube has responded by claiming that defamation is not a type of content that can be restricted under Section 69-A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, therefore invoking its immunity under the Act. Additionally, the platform said that civil courts, not criminal ones, are more appropriate for handling defamation cases.
Because the IT Act does not specifically prohibit criminal courts from hearing such cases, the judge rejected YouTube‘s concerns. According to the court’s order, the respondent’s filed authority is currently beneficial to the court. The process is mentioned in the aforementioned authority. Nevertheless, it is never stated that the criminal court lacks the authority to consider such an application. Thus, in the humble view of the court, the current application’s maintainability will not be hindered by the ratio of the aforementioned authorities.
Google in Slew of Legal Obligations in India
Interestingly, this is not the first time Google has been involved in a dispute in the nation. Earlier this year, some Indian businesses claimed that Google was charging them a large 11-26% fee on payments made through alternative billing systems, prompting the antitrust authority to initiate a probe into the company’s contentious user choice pricing system. Google was previously fined more than INR 2,200 Cr by the antitrust commission in 2022 for two different cases concerning abuse of power in the market for Android devices and its Play Store regulations.
In a different matter, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) is looking into Google after receiving a complaint from the gaming platform WinZO. The tech giant has been charged with giving Rummy and daily fantasy sports (DFS) apps a substantial competitive advantage at the expense of other real-money gambling (RMG) apps.
On 23 September 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in an important roundtable meeting with top technology experts from the United States. The topic of discussion was regarding the promotion of creativity and collaboration within India’s fast-growing technology sector.
In the course of Prime Minister Modi’s three-day trip to the United States, a significant portion of the trip was spent in New York City, where this high-profile meeting took place at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel.
The School of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was the host institution for the event, which brought together renowned chief executive officers from leading firms that specialize in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, and biotechnology. Other notable individuals who were present at the event included Sundar Pichai, who works for Google, Jensen Huang, from Nvidia, Lisa Su, who serves for AMD, and Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe.
Focus of This Round-Table Meet
The conversation centered on how cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and biotechnology are influencing the landscape of technology around the world and making a contribution to the advancement of humankind. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) brought attention to the fact that the discussion focused on how these technologies are being utilized to revolutionize the economy of the entire world and to improve the standards of living of people all over the world, including those living in India.
In the statement made by the Ministry of Executive Affairs (MEA), Prime Minister Modi emphasized India’s commitment to fostering ethical and responsible usage of artificial intelligence through its ‘AI for All’ strategy during the meeting.
Further, the Prime Minister reminded the leaders of the technology sector that India is committed to protecting intellectual property and developing an environment that is conducive to innovation driven by technology. He strongly encouraged the chief executive officers to capitalize on India’s economic expansion and the country’s potential to become the third-largest economy in the world in a relatively short time.
The Meet Highlights the Investment Opportunities in India
Another important point that was brought up throughout the conversation was the potential for investment in India’s rapidly developing startup ecosystem. An emphasis was placed on the role that startups play in driving technological developments and providing creative solutions, as well as the potential that startups have to function as a bridge for American corporations who are entering the Indian market.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, spoke to the press after the roundtable and said that Prime Minister Modi has encouraged the tech industry to keep creating and developing in and for India. In addition to this, he went on to state that the Prime Minister of India is concerned with ensuring that artificial intelligence is ultimately developed for the benefit of the people of India. He is pressing those who work in the field of technology to do more in the field of artificial intelligence so that it might be of use to the people of India.
As both countries continue to investigate potential pathways for mutual growth and innovation, this roundtable represents a crucial step in strengthening the ties that bind India and the United States, particularly in the field of technology.
According to recent studies, Indian-origin CEOs are currently leading some of the world’s most successful companies in a variety of sectors.
From technology to healthcare, these leaders have achieved remarkable success and are now considered among the most influential CEOs in the world.
There is a whole range of companies, starting from IBM, Cognizant, and Adobe to tech giants like Google and Microsoft, mobile mammoths like Nokia, and content kings like OnlyFans, where the CEOs are of Indian origin and are upping the game, no doubt.
So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the top Indian CEOs ruling the world in 2023.
Indian Origin CEO- Sundar Pichai (Google and Alphabet)
Pichai Sundararajan, also known as Sundar Pichai, was born in Tamil Nadu, India. He earned a degree from IIT Kharagpur in metallurgical engineering and is a distinguished alumnus of that institution.
He holds an M.S. from Stanford University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he was named a Siebel Scholar and a Palmer Scholar.
Pichai began his career as a materials engineer and joined Google as a management executive in 2004 and became the CEO of Google in the year 2015. Pichai was also named as the CEO of Google parent, Alphabet in December 2019, when he replaced Larry Page.
Satya Nadella
Company
Microsoft
Headquarters
One Microsoft Way Redmond, Washington, United States
Revenue
$198.27 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2014-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Satya Nadella (Microsoft)
Hyderabad-born Satya Nadella has a BE from the Manipal Institute of Technology, an MS from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Before joining Microsoft in 1992, he worked at Sun Microsystems as a member of its technology staff.
He became the CEO of Microsoft in 2014 succeeding Steve Ballmer. He also succeeded John W. Thompson and was named Chairman of Microsoft in 2021.
Vivek Sankaran
Company
Albertsons Cos Inc
Headquarters
Boise, Idaho, United States
Revenue
$76.768 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2019-Present
Indian Origin CEO- Vivek Sankaran (Albertsons Companies)
Vivek Sankaran is a well-known business executive in the United States. He is currently the President and CEO of Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the U.S., with more than 2,200 stores across 33 states.
Before joining Albertsons in 2019, Sankaran was the CEO of PepsiCo Foods North America, where he led the company’s Frito-Lay and Quaker Foods businesses in the U.S. and Canada. He has also held senior leadership roles at other major companies, including Procter & Gamble and McKinsey & Company.
Under his leadership, Albertsons has continued to expand its digital capabilities, introduce new products and services, and improve its supply chain and logistics operations.
Arvind Krishna
Company
IBM
Headquarters
Armonk, New York, United States
Revenue
$60.53 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2020-Present
Indian Origin CEO- Arvind Krishna (IBM)
The Indian CEO of IBM, who became the Chairman on January 1, 2021, Arvind Krishna was born in Dehradun, India.
He completed his schooling at St Joseph’s Academy, Dehradun, and the Stanes School, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. He then received a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1985 and eventually got a PhD in Electrical Engineering.
Krishna began his career at IBM as an engineer in IBM Research and was promoted to CEO in 2020. He is currently serving IBM as its CEO and Chairman.
Vasant Narasimhan
Company
Novartis AG
Headquarters
Basel, Switzerland
Revenue
$50.5 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2018-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Vasant Narasimhan (Novartis AG)
Narasimhan was born in the United States in 1976 but spent much of his childhood in India. He attended the Syosset High School in New York before earning a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Chicago.
He went on to complete his MD from Harvard Medical School, as well as a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
After completing his education, Narasimhan worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company before joining Novartis in 2005. In 2014, he was appointed as the Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer for Novartis.
In 2018, Narasimhan was named CEO of Novartis, succeeding Joseph Jimenez.
Sanjay Mehrotra
Company
Micron Technology
Headquarters
Boise, Idaho, United States
Revenue
$27.15 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2017-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Sanjay Mehrotra (Micron Technology)
Kanpur-born Sanjay Mehrotra started his college at BITS Pilani and then transferred to the University of California, Berkeley from where he obtained a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Electrical Engineering and in Computer Science.
He is the current CEO of Micron Technology, who assumed office when Mark Durcan retired in February 2017.
Previously, he co-founded SanDisk, where he served as the president and CEO until its acquisition by Western Digital in 2016.
Laxman Narasimhan
Company
Starbucks
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington, United States
Revenue
$30.4 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2022-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Laxman Narasimhan (Starbucks)
Laxman holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering, University of Pune, an MA degree in German and International Studies from The Lauder Institute, and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.
He joined Starbucks under the title “interim CEO” in October 2022, and following the transition will succeed interim CEO Howard Schultz. Narasimhan officially assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Starbucks in March 2023.
Revathi Advaithi
Company
Flex (formerly Flextronics)
Headquarters
Singapore
Revenue
$29.72 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2019-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Revathi Advaithi (Flex)
The CEO of Flex and an advocate of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Revathi Advaithi is an Indian-American business executive, who was born in India.
Advaithi started her career as a shop floor supervisor in Eaton. In 2002, she joined Honeywell and returned to Eaton again, where she worked for 10 long years after becoming the COO. She eventually left Eaton and joined Flex as the company’s CEO in 2019. Revathi is an alumnus of Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BS) and Thunderbird School of Global Management (MBA).
She is an independent director for the board of directors of Uber and Catalyst.org along with her present role. Besides, she also is a member of the MIT Presidential CEO Advisory Board. Revathi was also featured in Fortune’s list of the Most Powerful Women in 2019 and 2020.
Neal Mohan is an accomplished Indian-American executive with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
He began his career at Accenture, where he worked for approximately 1.5 years, before moving on to Microsoft as a manager in the company’s corporate strategy department.
In 2008, Mohan joined Google after the tech giant’s acquisition of DoubleClick. Over the years, he rose through the ranks and became YouTube’s chief product officer in 2015, overseeing the platform’s product and user experience.
Mohan’s impressive educational background and extensive tech industry experience played a significant role in his success. Notably, Neal Mohan, the Indian American business executive, became the CEO of YouTube in February 2023.
Shantanu Narayen
Company
Adobe Inc
Headquarters
San Jose, California, United States
Revenue
$17.6 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2007-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Shantanu Narayen (Adobe)
Born in Hyderabad, India, Shantanu Narayan started his career at Apple. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Osmania University, an MBA from the University of California, Berkley, and an MS from Bowling Green State University.
Narayen joined Adobe in 1998 and got promoted to CEO in December 2007, at the age of 45.
Narayen also represented India in sailing at an Asian Regatta and got his name among the world’s best CEOs by Barron’s Magazine in the year 2016.
Niraj Shah
Company
Wayfair
Headquarters
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Revenue
$12.369 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2002-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Niraj Shah (Wayfair)
Shah earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Cornell University and a master’s degree in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
After completing his education, Shah started his career as a consultant at the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where he worked for several years.
In 2002, he co-founded the online furniture retailer CSN Stores (which later became Wayfair) with his friend and business partner, Steve Conine.
George Kurian
Company
NetApp
Headquarters
San Jose, California, United States
Revenue
$6.549 billion
Term of Office
2015-Present
Indian Origin CEO – George Kurian (NetApp)
After serving as the executive vice president of product operations for two years at NetApp, George Kurian became the CEO and President of the company in June 2015.
Born in Kottayam district, Kerala, he pursued engineering at IIT-Madras, but left six months later to join Princeton University; he also holds an MBA degree from Stanford.
Leena Nair
Company
Chanel
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Revenue
$15.6 billion
Term of Office
2022-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Leena Nair (Chanel)
Born on June 11, 1969, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Leena Nair was an Electronics Engineering student at Walchand College of Engineering. After completing her graduation, Leena went to XLRI Jamshedpur from where she came out as a gold medallist.
Nair joined Anglo-Dutch company Unilever and was notably appointed as the Chief Human Resource Officer of the firm in 2016. She was recognized as the youngest, first female, and the first Asian ever to achieve the feat. Leena served many leadership positions in the same company before being appointed as the CHRO. Leena Nair was once again announced as the CEO of the French fashion brand, Chanel.
Ravi Kumar S
Company
Cognizant
Headquarters
Teaneck, New Jersey, United States
Revenue
$19.428 billion
Term of Office
2023-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Ravi Kumar S (Cognizant)
Ravi Kumar S. took on the role of CEO at Cognizant in January 2023. His tenure as CEO followed a distinguished career where he served as the President of Infosys from January 2016 to October 2022, contributing to his deep understanding of the IT industry.
Kumar’s educational background is equally impressive, with an engineering degree from Shivaji University in Maharashtra and an MBA from Xavier Institute of Management in Orissa. His journey in the technology sector underscores the increasing presence of Indian-origin CEOs in global tech companies.
Nikesh Arora
Company
Palo Alto Networks
Headquarters
Santa Clara, California, United States
Revenue
$5.818 billion
Term of Office
2018-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Nikesh Arora (Palo Alto Networks)
Nikesh Arora took the role of CEO and Chairman at Palo Alto Networks in June 2018. Prior to this, he worked with Google and SoftBank.
Born to an Indian Air Force Officer, Arora holds a Btech degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT BHU, Varanasi.
Furthermore, Arora also holds a degree from Boston College and an MBA from Northeastern University. Nikesh Arora has retained the CFA that he earned in 1999.
Anjali Sud
Company
Tubi
Headquarters
San Francisco, United States
Revenue
NA
Term of Office
2023-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Anjali Sud (Tubi)
Born in the USA, Detroit, Anjali Sud is an American businesswoman of Indian origin and is popularly known for being the CEO of Vimeo. Sud opted to study at the private school, Phillips Andover Academy at the age of 14.
She eventually received a B.Sc. degree in Finance and Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and later topped it off with an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Sud was appointed as a Vimeo CEO in July 2017. She previously served as a General Manager and the Head of Marketing of the company. Sud is also counted as a Board member of Dolby Laboratories. Furthermore, Sud is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. She was also listed by Fortune in 2018 under its 40 Under 40 rising business leaders.
Anjali Sud stepped down from her position as Vimeo CEO andjoined Tubi in September 2023, taking on the role of CEO at Fox Corp.’s free streaming service.
Devika Bulchandani was born and raised in India, and she completed her schooling there. She then moved to the United States to pursue higher education, and she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Bulchandani began her career in the advertising industry in 1995, working at several leading agencies such as Ammirati Puris Lintas, J. Walter Thompson, and McCann Erickson. She joined Ogilvy in 1999 as an Account Director and worked her way up the ranks, eventually becoming the Chief Operating Officer of Ogilvy New York in 2017.
In March 2021, Bulchandani was appointed as the CEO of Ogilvy North America, making her the first woman of color to lead the agency.
Jayshree Ullal
Company
Arista Networks
Headquarters
Santa Clara, California, United States
Revenue
$4.381 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2008-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Jayshree Ullal (Arista Networks)
Jayashree Ullal, the President, and CEO of Arista Networks was raised in New Delhi and attended San Francisco State University from where she graduated with a B.S. in Engineering.
She then went on to obtain a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Santa Clara University.
Rangarajan Raghuram
Company
VMware
Headquarters
Palo Alto, California, United States
Revenue
$13.16 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2021-Present
Indian Origin CEO – Rangarajan Raghuram (VMware)
Rangarajan Raghuram currently serves as the CEO of VMware, who assumed his office on June 1, 2021.
Raghuram joined the company back in 2003 and has held multiple key leadership positions, thus being responsible for influencing the company’s strategies and bringing forth a technological revolution that VMware has seen.
Punit Renjen
Company
Deloitte
Headquarters
London, England
Revenue
$59 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2015-2022
Indian Origin CEO – Punit Renjen (Deloitte)
Renjen was born and raised in India, where he earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Bombay. He later moved to the United States to pursue an MBA from Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management in Oregon.
After completing his MBA, Renjen joined Deloitte’s U.S. consulting practice in 1989. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a partner in the firm’s consulting practice in 1999.
In 2015, Renjen was appointed as the Global CEO of Deloitte, becoming the first person of Indian origin to lead one of the “Big Four” accounting firms.
On December 31, 2022, Punit retired as Deloitte Global CEO after having served in the role since June 2015. He now serves as Deloitte Global CEO Emeritus.
Ivan Menezes
Company
Diageo
Headquarters
London, England
Revenue
$20.56 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2013-2023
Indian Origin CEO – Ivan Menezes (Diageo)
Ivan Menezes was born in Pune, India, in 1959. Menezes attended high school in Hong Kong and went on to study at the University of Pune in India, where he earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
He then moved to the United States to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Menezes started his career with Nestle in 1986, working in various roles across Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Menezes joined Diageo in 1997 as a strategy director and was subsequently appointed president and CEO of Diageo North America in 2004.
He was later promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2012, before becoming CEO in 2013.
Ivan served as the CEO of Diageo from 2013 until his passing in June 2023. Later, in June 2023, Debra Crew was appointed as Diageo’s Chief Executive Officer.
Amrapali ‘Ami’ Gan
Company
OnlyFans
Headquarters
London, England
Revenue
$2.5 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2021-2023
Indian Origin CEO – Amrapali Gan (OnlyFans)
Amrapali Gan has been named the new CEO of the London-based internet content subscription service company, OnlyFans on December 21, 2021, with the founder of the company Tim Stokely stepping down from the role. The NRI Indian CEO has already assumed office on the same date.
Amrapali Gan, or ‘Ami’ Gan, as she is nicknamed, has completed her early and higher education in California, US.
Gan has completed her Associate of Arts degree in Merchandise Marketing from FIDM. She then pursued a Bachelor of Arts in PR and Organisational Communications from California State University.
Furthermore, she also went on to earn her Certificate of Entrepreneurship from Harvard Business School Online. Ami had worked as a consultant with Arcade Agency for around 4 years before being appointed as the CEO of OnlyFans.
In July 2023, Ami Gan resigned as the CEO of OnlyFans after a two-year tenure, with Chief Strategy and Operations Officer Keily Blair stepping in as the new CEO. Ami Gan has started her own new venture, Hoxton Projects.
Sanjay Jha
Company
Global Foundries and Motorola
Headquarters
Malta, New York, United States
Revenue
$2.5 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2014-2018
Indian Origin CEO – Sanjay K Jha (GlobalFoundries and Motorola)
He is the former chief executive officer (CEO) of GlobalFoundries and the former chairman and CEO of Motorola Mobility. Before that, he was the chief operating officer of Qualcomm.
Jha was born in Bhagalpur, Bihar, and holds a BS from the University of Liverpool and a PhD from the University of Strathclyde.
Rajeev Suri
Company
Nokia
Headquarters
Espoo, Finland
Revenue
$25.997 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2014-2020
Indian Origin CEO – Rajeev Suri (Nokia)
Rajeev Suri is an Indian–Singaporean business executive and the former CEO of Nokia from New Delhi, India. Suri joined Nokia in 1995 and held various key positions before being the President and CEO in April 2014, which was after Nokia had repurchased full control of the NSN and sold its phone division to Microsoft Mobile.
Suri holds a B-Tech from the Manipal Institute of Technology. After he left his office at Nokia, Suri in 2020 giving way to its new CEO, Pekka Lundmark, Suri joined Inmarsat, where he joined as a CEO effective from March 1, 2021, onwards.
Francisco D’Souza
Company
Cognizant
Headquarters
Teaneck, New Jersey, United States
Revenue
$19.428 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2007-2019
Indian Origin CEO – Francisco D’Souza (Cognizant)
Francisco D’Souza is among the youngest CEOs in the software services sector and a member of the company’s board of directors. D’Souza joined Cognizant as a co-founder in 1994 and went on to become its CEO in 2007.
The son of an Indian, D’Souza was born in Kenya and is distinguished as the former CEO and Vice Chairman of Cognizant. He holds a BBA from the University of East Asia, Macau, and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh.
Brian Humphries succeeded Francisco D’Souza as Cognizant’s CEO in April 2019, and later in January 2023, Ravi Kumar S was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Cognizant.
Dinesh Paliwal
Company
Harman International
Headquarters
Stamford, Connecticut, United States
Revenue
$2.7 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2007-2020
Indian Origin CEO – Dinesh Paliwal (Harman International)
Born in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Paliwal holds a BE and an MS degree from IIT Roorkee. He also obtained an MBA from Miami University.
Paliwal is known as the former President and CEO of Harman International, an independent subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, who stepped down from both of the positions and is currently appointed among the Board of Directors of the company.
Before joining Harman, he spent 22 years with ABB Group, where he held the dual role of President of ABB Group with responsibility for the company’s global P&L, and Chairman/CEO – ABB North America.
Ashok Vemuri
Company
Conduent Inc. of Xerox Corporation
Headquarters
Florham Park, New Jersey, United States
Revenue
$3.85 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2016-2019
Indian Origin CEO – Ashok Vemuri (Conduent Inc of Xerox Corporation)
New Delhi-born Ashok Vemuri is one among the Board of Directors for Financial Policy and Public Responsibilities at Kroger and was the former Chief Executive Officer of IGATE and Conduent.
Xerox, the 110-year-old document technology company that over the years came to symbolize everything associated with photocopying, named former iGate-appointed CEO Ashok Vemuri as the new CEO of its back-office outsourcing company, Conduent.
Vemuri was also appointed as the Executive Vice President and CEO of Xerox Business Services LLC.
Ajaypal Singh Banga
Company
Mastercard
Headquarters
Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States
Revenue
$22.23 billion (2022)
Term of Office
2010-2020
Indian Origin CEO – Ajaypal Singh Banga (Mastercard)
Beginning his business career with Nestlé in 1981, Pune-born Ajaypal Singh Banga was appointed as the President and CEO of Mastercard back in July 2010 and retained his office till December 31, 2020, after which he stepped down giving way to Michael Miebach.
He completed his primary education at the Hyderabad Public School in Begumpet and he went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University followed by a PGP in Management from the IIM Ahmedabad.
Banga was nominated by the Biden administration in February 2023 and elected as the President of the World Bank on May 3, 2023.
Born in Ajmer, Rajasthan on May 21, 1984, Parag Agrawal was schooled at Atomic Energy Central School No.4., where he studied with the renowned singer Shreya Ghoshal. Agrawal sat for the Joint Entrance Exam, where he was placed 77th, thereby seizing a chance to be admitted at the IIT Bombay.
He completed his B.Tech. degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the same institute in 2005. Parag then decided to pursue a PhD in computer science from Stanford University, US.
He was the CEO of Twitter, Inc. from November 2021 to October 2022. Agrawal was promoted to the post of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in October 2017, when he replaced Adam Massinger. This was the last designation that he served before being named as the Chief Executive Officer of the company on November 29, 2021.
Conclusion
CEOs are integral to a company. He/she, when appointed as the CEO of a particular company, manages and monitors the day-to-day operations of the firm, and also stands responsible for strategic planning and decision-making. The CEO is the person who determines the direction of a business and is thus, a respectable as well as a valuable asset of the company.
Therefore, it feels exceptionally good to be an Indian when you get to hear that the CEOs of such big companies that are shaping the modern world are Indian in origin. Hope you find this list of Indian-origin CEOs at the top companies globally useful and informative!
FAQs
Who is the highest paid CEO of India?
Mukesh Ambani, the CEO of Reliance Industries is the highest paid CEO of India.
Who are the top 10 CEO in world?
Top 10 CEO in world are:
Elon Musk
Satya Nadella
Mark Zuckerberg
Andy Jassy
Tim Cook
Jeff Bezos
Jack Dorsey
Arvind Krishna
Warren Buffett
Jamie Dimon
Who are the Indian Origin CEOs leading the world?
Some of the top Indian origin CEOs leading the world are:
The top ranking executive of a company is called as CEO (chief executive officer). They have so many responsibilities. It includes making important decisions of the company, management of all operations of the company, management of the resources of the company, etc. The public face of a company is CEO.
There is a common thread that connects the famous multi-billion dollar companies. The current CEOs of these companies are mostly from south Asian countries, mainly from India. South Asians secured the most number of C-level leadership positions in the tech industry. Many of these south Asians are born and raised in their home countries before moving to the Western countries.
The Indians are playing an important role in changing the way of technology works. The world’s two largest technology companies are headed by Indian origin CEO’s. We can add more names to the list. Being a leader in the most important companies in the world and playing an important role in growth are not an easy task.
In large companies, CEOs generally manage only the highest level of strategic decisions, which affect the overall growth of the company. In small businesses, CEOs are often involved in daily operations. If you think that some of the best CEO’s in the world are international, you will be surprised to hear so many names from India.
Sundar Pichai
CEO: Google
Sundar Pichai – CEO of Google
Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google. He was born in Tamil Nadu, India on 10 June, 1972. He took a degree in metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur. After that, he moved to US. He completed his MS in material sciences and engineering from Stanford University and he attained his MBA from Wharton University.
He was awarded the titles named “Siebel scholar and Palmer scholar” from there. On August 10, 2015, Sundar Pichai was selected as CEO of Google. He played an important role in the development and launch of the Google Chrome web browser. He was the product head for projects related to Google drive, Google map, and Android. That helped him to grow in his career.
Satya Nadella
CEO: Microsoft
Satya Nadella – CEO of Microsoft
Satya Nadella is the CEO of Microsoft. He was born in Hyderabad, India on 12 August 1967. Hewas selected as CEO of Microsoft on February 4, 2014.He completed his degree in electronics and communication engineering from the Manipal institute of technology. He completed his master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
He attained his MBA from the University of Chicago. After that, he worked as a technology staff at a company named “Sun Microsystems”. In 1992, he joined the Microsoft. Satya Nadella headed in some major projects at Microsoft, which including cloud computing and developing one of the world’s largest cloud cluster infrastructure.
Shantanu Narayen is the CEO of Adobe systems. He was born in Hyderabad, India on 1963. He took his degree in electronics and communication engineering from University College of Engineering, Osmania University. After that he completed his MBA from Haas School of business, University of California.
He earned his master’s degree in computer science from Bowling green state university, Ohio. His career started at Apple. After that, he worked in Silicon graphics. He co-founded a digital photo sharing company named “Pictra”. In 1998, he joined the Adobe Systems. He promoted as CEO of the company, in 2007. Also, he got the Padma Shri award in 2019.
George Kurian
CEO: NetApp
George Kurian – CEO of NetApp
George Kurian is the president and CEO of NetApp. It is a storage and data management company. He was born in Kerala, India. He completed his engineering from IIT Madras. He attained bachelors of Science degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University and earned MBA from Stanford University.
He started his career at Oracle in 1996. Later, he promoted as the senior vice president of Oracle’s server technologies. Also he served as vice president of Application Networking and Switching Technology Group at Cisco Systems. In 2011, he joined the Netapp. He became the CEO of the company in June 2015.
Nikesh Arora
CEO: Palo Alto Networks
Nikesh Arora – CEO of Palo Alto Networks
Nikesh Arora is the CEO of Palo Alto Networks. He was born in Uttar Pradesh, India on 9 February 1968. He completed his degree in Electrical engineering from IIT Varanasi. After that, he completed his MBA from Northeastern University. Also he earned a master’s degree in finance from Boston College.
He worked at Google. Also, he served as a president of a company named SoftBank Group. He resigned from there on 21 June 2016. In June 2018, he joined the Palo Alto Networks. Presently, he serves as the chairman and CEO of the company.
Rajeev Suri is the ex-CEO of Nokia. He was born in New Delhi, India on 10 October 1967. He has Singapore citizenship. He completed his degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, India. He served for multi-national companies in Nigeria and India. In 1995, he joined the Nokia. He played an important role in transformation of the company. He became the CEO of the company on 29 April 2014.
Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram
CEO: Sehat Kahani
Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram – CEO and Co-founder of Sehat Kahani
Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram is CEO and co-founder of the company named “Sehat Kahani”. The services of the company focus on health awareness, primary health care consultation, and health counselling. She was born in Karachi, Pakistan. She completed her MBBS in 2010 from DOW University of Health Sciences.
Later, she earned a master’s degree in Health Policy and Management from The Aga Khan University of Health Sciences. She is the first women in Pakistan to win the Rolex award.
Raj Fernando
CEO: Workstorm.com
Raj Fernando – CEO and Chairman of Workstorm.com
Raj Fernando is the CEO and Chairman of Workstorm.com. He is a Sri Lankan descent American businessman. He was born on 8 July 1971. He completed his bachelor’s degree in economics and history from Beloit College. He found a company named “Chopper Trading” in 2002 and he became CEO of the company.
Fernando’s contributions helped the company to become one of the main participants on world’s largest global exchanges. But in 2015, he sold the company. He launched an internet startup named “Workstorm.com” in 2016. Now he serves as the CEO of the company.
The South Asian cultures encourage debate, communication, and argumentation. Also, the mainstream American culture encourages assertive communication too. According to a study by MIT, South Asians are more likely to achieve leadership roles in American organizations. The research focused on the three key aspects of prejudice, motivation, and assertiveness.
The research proposed that the cultural differences around assertiveness and the willingness to engage in the debate may be strong contributing factors in what resonates with American company leadership expectations.
This is a good trait that is seen in South Asian peoples. Because of this type of trait and culture, there is a high chance of people from Asia succeeding in leadership roles. We can expect more such leaders to take up leadership positions in big multi-national organizations.
These CEOs are not from the same background. It includes from poverty to the middle class. Most of them were born and raised in different places. They left the home countries to attain higher education in other countries, yet they all have the same instincts, values and traits. Anyway, climbing the ladder of success is not an easy task. So, this completes our list of top Asian CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.
FAQ
How many Fortune 500 companies have Indians as there CEOs?
38 CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies are Indians.
What is the number of Asian American CEOs in the fortune 500 companies?
5.6% of total CEOs in fortune 500 Companies are found to be Asian American.
Who is the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 company?
Katharine Graham is the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
Which is Number 1 in the Fortune 500?
Walmart is ranked no. 1 in Fortune 500 Companies.
What is the number of Asian Americans in professional workforce?
Asian Americans made up about 13% of the professional workforce.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by the organization it is based on.
Alphabet, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the business of acquisition and operation of different companies. It operates through the Google and Other Bets segments. The Google segment includes its main Internet products such as ads, Android, Chrome, hardware, Google Cloud, Google Maps, Google Play, Search, and YouTube.
The Other Bets segment consists of businesses such as Access, Calico, CapitalG, GV, Verily, Waymo, and X. The company was founded by Lawrence E. Page and Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin on October 2, 2015 and is headquartered in Mountain View, CA.
Alphabet Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mountain View, California. It was created through a restructuring of Google on October 2, 2015, and became the parent company of Google and several former Google subsidiaries. The two co-founders of Google remained as controlling shareholders, board members, and employees at Alphabet. Alphabet is the world’s fourth-largest technology company by revenue and one of the world’s most valuable companies.
The establishment of Alphabet Inc. was prompted by a desire to make the core Google business “cleaner and more accountable” while allowing greater autonomy to group companies that operate in businesses other than Internet services. Page and Brin announced their resignation from their executive posts in December 2019, with the CEO role to be filled by Sundar Pichai, also the CEO of Google. Page and Brin remain co-founders, employees, board members, and controlling shareholders of Alphabet Inc.
Alphabet – Logo and its Meaning
The Alphabet logo uses the language of visual symbols to explain the differences between the companies, Google and itself. In comparison with the Google logo, it looks more serious, like a grown-up in comparison with a teenager.
Logo of Alphabet
Alphabet – Founder and History
Founders of Alphabet
On August 10, 2015, Google Inc. announced plans to create a new public holding company, Alphabet Inc. Google CEO Larry Page and Sergey Brin made this announcement in a blog post on Google’s official blog. Alphabet would be created to restructure Google by moving subsidiaries from Google to Alphabet, narrowing Google’s scope.
In his announcement, Page described the planned holding company as follows:
Alphabet is mostly a collection of companies. The largest of which, of course, is Google. This newer Google is a bit slimmed down, with the companies that are pretty far afield of our main internet products contained in Alphabet instead. Fundamentally, we believe this allows us more management scale, as we can run things independently that aren’t very related.
Page says the motivation behind the reorganization is to make Google “cleaner and more accountable and better”. He also said he wanted to improve “the transparency and oversight of what we’re doing”, and to allow greater control of unrelated companies.
Alphabet still keeps Google’s stock price history and trades under its former ticker symbols. Its website domain is abc.xyz (xyz was introduced in 2014). When asked about the new name, CEO Larry Page said that it was chosen because the alphabet is the building block of language, one of the most important innovations. He also said that it is the core of how the firm indexes with Google Search.
On December 3, 2019, Page and Brin jointly announced that they would step down from their respective roles, remaining as employees and still the majority vote on the board of directors. Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, is to assume the CEO role at Alphabet while retaining the same at Google.
Alphabet – Mission
Alphabet’s mission statement says, “Empowering great entrepreneurs and companies to flourish. Investing at the scale of the opportunities and resources we see. Improving the transparency and oversight of what we’re doing. Making Google even better through greater focus.“
David Drummond – Senior Vice President of Corporate Development
Eric Schmidt – Executive Chairman
Barnaby James – Principal Software Engineer
Alphabet – Subsidiaries
Few of the main subsidiaries of Alphabet are Google, X, Sidewalks Lab, Waymo, Calico, Verily, Fitbit, Deepmind, Wing and Firebase.
Alphabet – Business Model
Alphabet, Inc. is a holding company for Google and several other firms formerly owned by Google. The corporation operates two reportable business segments:
Google – Consists of various Internet products, including Search, YouTube, Maps, Commerce, Ads, Android, Cloud, Apps, Chrome, and Google Play, as well as hardware products such as Chromebooks, Chromecast, and Nexus. This segment accounts for the vast majority of Alphabet’s revenues.
Other Bets – Consists of various operating segments that the company deems “not individually material” (do not meet certain quantitative thresholds). These include the companies Access/Google Fiber, Google Capital, Calico, Verily, Next, GV, and X, and other initiatives.
Alphabet has one primary revenue stream, online advertising from third parties. It is divided into two main categories:
Performance Advertising – Creates relevant ads that users click, resulting in direct connection with advertisers. Most of the third parties pay Alphabet when a user engages in the ads.
Brand Advertising – Increases users’ awareness of advertisers’ offerings through video, images, text, and interactive ads that play across different devices. Alphabet helps third parties display digital videos and other ad types to specific audience groups for their marketing campaigns.
Alphabet revenue for the twelve months ending September 30, 2020 was $171.704B, a 10.74% increase year-over-year. Rest of the years’ trends are :
Year
Amount
Percentage Change From Last Year
2019
$161.857B
+18.3%
2018
$136.819B
+23.42%
2017
$110.855B
+22.8%
Alphabet – Investments
Alphabet has made 11 investments. Their most recent investment was on Jul 15, 2020, when Cityblock Health raised $53.5M.
Date
Organization Name
Round
Amount
Jul 15, 2020
Cityblock Health
Series B
$53.5M
Jun 26, 2020
Oscar Health
Venture Round
$225M
May 7, 2020
Lime
Venture Round
$170M
May 7, 2020
Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners
Series A
$400M
Mar 2, 2020
Waymo
Venture Round
$2.3B
Aug 14, 2018
Oscar Health
Corporate Round
$375M
Jul 9, 2018
Lime
Series C
$335M
Jun 14, 2018
SpinLaunch
Series A
$40M
Jan 24, 2018
XtalPi
Series B
$15M
Nov 15, 2017
UnitedMasters
Series A
$70M
Alphabet – Acquisitions
An analysis of the company’s investments in 2017 suggested that it was the most active investor in that period, outdoing the capital arm of Intel and also its own best customer. Alphabet, Inc. acquired seven of its own capital-backed startups in the 2017 financial year, with Cisco second having acquired six of the company’s previous investments.
Flatiron Health, a startup founded by two former Google employees and backed by Alphabet, Inc., announced that it was to be acquired by health conglomerate Hoffmann-La Roche for $1.8 billion. The company provides electronic medical records and analysis to identify improved treatments for oncology patients
Growing Regulatory Risks – Alphabet formally acknowledged the government’s antitrust probe earlier this year, but it isn’t just U.S. federal law enforcement officials taking a harder look at Alphabet’s business practices. In addition to FTC and DOJ investigations, a coalition of state attorneys general are participating in an antitrust probe of the company. In Europe, Alphabet has faced record fines in recent years for antitrust violations, and the European Commission, the EU’s antitrust regulatory body, recently opened an investigation into Google’s data collection practices, and may include data related to local search services, advertising, ad targeting, login services, web browsers, and others, according to Reuters.
A recent Wall Street Journal investigation found that contrary to some of the company’s claims, it routinely intervenes in search results, even favouring the results generated by big businesses such as eBay over smaller ones. Any such activity is likely to draw the attention of regulators, as well.
Shoring Up Growth, Profits – For the third quarter, Alphabet posted a mixed earnings report that revealed better-than-expected revenue, but a hit to its earnings — earnings per share came in at $10.12 versus estimates of $12.42. One reason for that miss, as noted by RealMoney’s tech columnist Eric Jhonsa, was accelerating operating expense growth, along with spending on R&D, sales and marketing and other expenses. It also recorded a net loss in its equity investments last quarter, posting a loss of $1.53B loss versus a $1.38B gain in the third quarter of last year.
Alphabet’s reputation for secrecy often works against it when its updates to investors are mixed. After its first quarter earnings call, for example, Alphabet’s stock hit the skids for weeks — partly owing to management’s lack of clarity in explaining its missed quarterly revenue and how it might have been affected by changes to its ad products. Meanwhile, investors have expressed frustrations that Alphabet doesn’t break out YouTube revenue, although it’s been long presumed to be a top driver of ad revenue growth for Google.
Sceptical Employees – Alphabet is still one of the most sought-after employers in Silicon Valley. But a vocal contingent of its workers disagree with the company’s policies and direction. For instance, Pichai navigated Google through a worker revolt last year over Project Maven, a contract with the military to analyse drone footage. (Google did not renew the contract.)
Alphabet Inc., the parent company for the search engine Google, will look to become just the third US-listed company to enter the $1 trillion market cap club in 2020. The stock will need to rise by about 8% between now and the end of 2020 to join this exclusive club. It isn’t going to be an easy task for the equity, especially if earnings growth slows as analysts project.
The company has already made some interesting pivots heading into 2020. Most notably is at the very top, with Sundar Pichai the CEO of Google also becoming the CEO of Alphabet, taking over the position for co-founder Larry Page.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai says the company has offered a competitive platform that has lowered prices advertisers, giving consumers more choice, according to prepared remarks the executive made ahead of Wednesday’s hearing before the House Antitrust Subcommittee.
“A competitive digital ad marketplace gives publishers and advertisers, and therefore consumers, an enormous amount of choice,” Pichai stated. “For example, competition in ads — from Twitter, Instagram, Comcast and others — has helped lower online advertising costs by 40% over the last 10 years, with these saving passed down to consumers through lower prices.”
