‘Google creates stress': What IIT Bombay-educated ISKCON monk told Sundar Pichai

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

ISKCON monk Gauranga Das revealed an interesting anecdote about meeting Google CEO Sundar Pichai while speaking at a London event. Das, who holds a BTech from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, was addressing the audience on the final day of the India Global Forum 2025 when he revealed that Pichai – who is the same age as him – once complimented him on his youthful appearance. ISKCON monk Gauranga Das with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a throwback photo.
The spiritual leader attributed his appearance to the lack of stress as he spoke about the detrimental effects of social media in exacerbating feelings of stress and loneliness.
When an ISKCON monk met Sundar Pichai
Gauranga Das is an IIT Bombay graduate who left a promising career to embrace spirituality. Sundar Pichai, today the CEO of Google, is also an IIT graduate - he holds a BTech in metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur.
Studying in different branches of IIT, albeit in the same batch, their paths never crossed while they were in college. However, while speaking at IGF London, Gauranga Das revealed that when he met Pichai, 53, years after graduating from college, the CEO of Google complimented his looks.
'I went to IIT in the same batch as Sundar Pichai. Years later, we met, and he said, 'You look younger than me.' I replied, 'You deal with Google, which creates stress. I deal with God, who releases stress,' said the ISKCON monk.
During his address, which took place at Taj St. James' Court, Gauranga Das also spoke aboyut the role of social media in digital addiction, loneliness, and anxiety. 'We have a huge problem. Globally, 230 million are addicted to social media. In Bharat alone, 70% of teenagers spend seven hours daily online. One in seven people around the world is suffering from mental health issues,' he said.
Who is Gauranga Das?
Gauranga Das, also known as Gauranga Prabhu (birth name ASK Anand) is an Indian Vaishnava monk and senior leader within ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness). He holds several positions within ISKCON.
Das left a corporate role early on to fully dedicate himself to spiritual and social work. He is also a published author with books like The Art of Resilience and The Art of Focus to his credit.
It is believed that he met Pichai during the wedding of Akash Ambani in 2019.