From a small town in India to Google CEO: Sundar Pichai's inspiring journey, education qualifications, personal life, and success tips

Sundar Pichai 's life journey, from a humble beginning in a small town in India to being the CEO of Alphabet Inc and Google, is nothing short of remarkable. His story shows how one's hard work and determination can help them defy all odds and catapult them to success. Today, Pichai not only leads one of the most influential companies in the world but is also an inspiration to thousands of people across the world. Let's look at his inspiring journey, education qualifications, personal life, and success tips here:
Early years in India: Middle-class upbringing and education
Sundar Pichai was born on June 10, 1972, in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India to Regunatha Pichai and Lakshmi. His father, Regunatha Pichai was an electrical engineer at GEC, while his mother, Lakshmi was a stenographer. Pichai also has a younger brother named Srinivasan Pichai, and he had a simple middle-class upbringing in a small town in India.
After completing his schooling from Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School in Chennai and Vana Vani school at IIT Madras (Class XII), Pichai earned his bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur. He then moved to the United States of America to pursue his M.S. in materials science and engineering from Stanford University. After this, he pursued an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Career and becoming the CEO of Alphabet Inc. and Google
In 2004, Pichai joined Google; he was the head of product management and development. He was initially involved in easy access to the search engine like Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox to users; later, he played an important role in developing Google Chrome, which is now widely used across the world.
In 2008, Pichai was made the Vice President of Product Development. A few years later, in 2012, he rose to the role of Senior Vice President, followed by becoming the Product Chief in 2014.
His hard work, determination, and exceptional work ethics helped him become the Google CEO in 2015, and in 2019, he was also made the CEO of Alphabet Inc.
Sundar Pichai's personal life
Sundar Pichai is married to Anjali Pichai (Haryani was her maiden name), and the couple has two children together. Sundar met Anjali while they were studying at IIT Kharagpur together, and over the years, their friendship grew to a lifelong partnership.
Apart from work, Sundar Pichai is also passionate about cricket and football. In an earlier interview, he had even revealed that he wanted to become a professional cricketer in his childhood, but life had other plans for him.
Sundar Pichai's success is not only inspiring but it also shows the power of education and hard work.
Success tips to borrow from Sundar Pichai
1. Keep learning and adapting
Pichai emphasises the importance of continuous learning and adaptability. He believes that staying curious and open to new ideas helps in personal and professional growth.
2. Lead with humility and empathy
Known for his calm and humble leadership, he stresses the value of listening, understanding different perspectives, and empowering teams rather than dominating them.
3. Embrace challenges
Pichai’s journey proves that embracing challenges and stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to great success. He encourages thinking long-term and focusing on innovation.