“Sundar Pichai, CEO Google to address students at Shri Ram College of Commerce during India trip”.
This was the headline that hit the pages of Economic Times on December 10, 2015.
The wait began and the excitement grew day by day!
December 17, 2015
Shri Ram College of Commerce,
Pushing and shoving people around the Google registration desk, I made my way straight to it and grabbed my Google entry badge.
With the badge we were given two “surprise cards”. Google had already started pleasing us! And the main show was yet to begin.
Moving from SRCC Co-op to the library lawns we caught hold of our button buddies and a picture with our favourite Android! Unexpectedly, every move forward was leading me to a surprise by Google!
Walking ahead, we reached the Library lawns which had been converted into an amazing open air café. One thing that was truly describing the Google work culture!
Reaching infront of SBI, I came across something exceedingly brilliant, something totally unthinkable. Google gave us an insight to the World’s Art, Culture and History in a digitised form. A technology that would lead us to know the minutest of details relating to this. One thing that left me completely astounded!
Go check out the link to know more about the technology: www.google.com/culturalinstitute
Finally I got inside the SRCC sports complex where Pichai had to come.
With levels of excitement really high, we were welcomed by a group of drummers who turned the audience of 3000 people into 3000 musicians playing different instruments like daphlis and dholaks. It was magical and we were all doing the drum circles being directed by a Magic wand! The feeling was ecstatic and Aadivasi’ish!
Next in the lineup was the Mumbai based a capella group , “ Raaga Trippin’ “. They made us believe that music is a game that can be played well using voices and harmonies sans instruments!
To add to the shower of surprises, Google brought to us the very famous cricket commentator, Harsha Bhogle! All fuelled up to interview Pichai, Harsha Bhogle greeted the audience with great enthusiasm.
Finally , the much awaited moment arrived. Pichai graced the complex at sharp 1pm (high on punctuality)! The audience welcomed the Google CEO with a thunder of claps.
Harsha Bhogle started throwing a stream of questions upon him. Questions came from students and teachers sitting inside the complex and through videos and social media! The question asking was very well planned by Google.
Then came the most interesting part: The Rapid Fire Round With Pichai
Q.When did you buy your first smartphone
A. 2006 ( precisely Two years after joining Google)
Q. How many smartphones do you have?
A. 20-30 (audience had their mouths wide open at this answer)
And then came the best question of the day:
Q. How much did you score in class 12?
(Audience laughed, Pichai gave a silent smile)
A. Not enough to get into SRCC (and the audience couldn’t help but burst into a hysterical laughter)
The session ended with a “360 degree selfie” with Pichai.
December 17, 2015 : 2pm
The session got over right on time but was it actually over?
Pichai waved goodbye but Google didn’t!
Coming out of the complex, we unlocked the surprise of the two surprise cards! Gift and Free food.
Gift: 3D glasses, 3D view in your hands
Sadly, the ones who missed the session, missed the gift because the product has not been launched in India yet and we were the lucky ones to have got that!
Food: Mouth watering Italian for free
Some other perks we got :
White and Pink Marshmellows
Framed Google Android
TAKEAWAYS:
- Information about Google technology ( 3D glasses, the google cultural institute)
- Sundar talked about women empowerment and setting up of more placement centres in India (something which filled all the college students sitting there with elation).
- Google Android update might as well be named after an “Indian desi meethai”, eg. Naan Khatai as said by Pichai after being asked by a college student!
- He talked about the “Wi-fi project” in India wherein the aim is to provide wifi at railways in India.
- Project Loon by Google to work on getting wifi to rural areas.
A funfilled session which ended up giving us bagful of knowledge is an experience to be counted for lifetime!
Pichai came, Google came and ED liv’ED it, each and every moment!
