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Economic Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Sundar Pichai met his IIT batchmate-turned monk who looked 'younger'. His reply: 'You deal with Google, I with God'
Monk Gauranga Das, an IIT Bombay graduate was in the same batch as Google's Sundar Pichai. (Pic courtesy: Agencies) In an age where CEOs are chasing productivity hacks to stay youthful and stress-free, one IIT graduate says he's already cracked the code—and it has nothing to do with tech. At the India Global Forum 2025 in London, ISKCON monk Gauranga Das shared a fascinating personal story involving none other than Google CEO Sundar Pichai, sparking conversations about stress, spirituality, and the digital crisis. Speaking on the final day of the event, Gauranga Das—an IIT Bombay graduate who left behind a promising engineering career to pursue a spiritual path—recalled his meeting with Pichai, who was part of the same IIT batch, albeit in a different branch. The two never crossed paths in college, but when they met years later, Pichai was quick to compliment the monk's youthful appearance. The spiritual leader attributed the difference in their looks to the contrasting lives they lead. Pichai, 53, who navigates the fast-paced, high-pressure world of global tech, apparently told Das, that the monk looks younger than him. To which Gauranga Das responded that Sundar Pichai deals with Google, 'which creates stress,' whereas he deals with God, 'who releases stress.' The anecdote quickly resonated with the audience, serving as a segue into the monk's broader message about digital addiction and its impact on mental health. Das warned about the growing psychological crisis being amplified by excessive screen time and social media use. Quoting alarming statistics, he said that 230 million people around the world are addicted to social media. He further claimed that in India alone, 70% of teenagers spend seven hours daily online and that one in seven people around the world is suffering from mental health issues. Gauranga Das, an alumnus of IIT Bombay, is a spiritual leader, environmentalist, and educator. Currently a member of ISKCON's Governing Body Commission, he serves as the director of Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV), a model of sustainable living founded by Radhanath Swami. Under his leadership, GEV received the UN World Tourism Organization Award in 2017 and gained accreditation with major UN bodies, including UNEP, ECOSOC, UNCCD, and CBD. Beyond environmental efforts, Gauranga Das plays a significant role in education and leadership development. He is on the board of the Govardhan School of Public Leadership, which prepares aspirants for the civil services, and he heads the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre, which preserves ancient Vedic manuscripts and offers postgraduate programs in is also the author of Art of Resilience and Art of Pichai was born on June 10, 1972, in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. He became the CEO of Google in 2015 and later took charge of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, in 2019 from co-founder Larry Page. Pichai spent his early years in Chennai and pursued a degree in metallurgical engineering at IIT Kharagpur, where he received a silver medal for academic excellence. He then earned a master's degree from Stanford University and completed his MBA at the Wharton School. Before joining Google in 2004, Pichai worked with Applied Materials and the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. At Google, he played a key role in the development of major products such as Google Chrome, ChromeOS, Gmail, Google Drive, and Android. As CEO, he has led the company's focus on artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, and infrastructure. His influence has been widely recognized—he was named among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in both 2016 and 2020 and received the Padma Bhushan, one of India's top civilian honors, in 2022. ( Originally published on Jun 24, 2025 )
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Health
- Business Standard
'You deal with Google, I with God': When IIT batchmate met Sundar Pichai
While tech leaders chase productivity hacks to fight stress and ageing, IIT Bombay graduate-turned-monk Gauranga Das says spirituality is the real solution. At the India Global Forum 2025 in London, he shared a memorable encounter with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, sparking a wider conversation on mental health, digital addiction, and inner peace. When Gauranga Das met batchmate Sundar Pichai? Gauranga Das, a former IIT Bombay student who renounced his promising engineering career to follow a spiritual path, recalled meeting Sundar Pichai, his IIT contemporary, years after graduation. While they never interacted during college, Pichai was quick to compliment the monk's youthful appearance during their reunion. The monk's witty response, 'You deal with Google, which creates stress. I deal with God, who releases stress,' drew laughter and sparked reflection among attendees. Gauranga Das on the mental health issue The anecdote served as a powerful entry point into Gauranga Das's broader commentary on digital overuse and the mental health crisis. Citing alarming statistics, he said over 230 million people globally are addicted to social media, and in India, 70 per cent of teens spend an average of 7 hours online daily. He warned that 1 in 7 people worldwide suffer from mental health issues, fueled in part by excessive screen time and constant digital engagement. Who is Gauranga Das? Gauranga Das is a globally recognised spiritual leader, environmentalist, and educator. An alumnus of IIT Bombay, he is currently a senior monk in the ISKCON Governing Body Commission and director of the Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV), a model for sustainable living that won the UNWTO Award in 2017 and holds accreditations from UNEP, ECOSOC, UNCCD, and CBD. Apart from his environmental work, he plays a key role in leadership and education. He is a board member at the Govardhan School of Public Leadership, which prepares aspirants for India's civil services, and heads the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre, which preserves ancient Vedic scriptures and offers postgraduate programs in philosophy. He is also the author of 'Art of Resilience' and 'Art of Focus'. Gauranga Das's insights at the India Global Forum 2025 emphasised the urgent need to balance digital life with spiritual grounding, an idea that resonated across the tech and wellness communities alike.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Sundar Pichai met his IIT batchmate monk who looked 'younger'. His reply 'You deal with Google, I with God'
In an age where CEOs are chasing productivity hacks to stay youthful and stress-free, one IIT graduate says he's already cracked the code—and it has nothing to do with tech. At the India Global Forum 2025 in London, ISKCON monk Gauranga Das shared a fascinating personal story involving none other than Google CEO Sundar Pichai , sparking conversations about stress, spirituality, and the digital crisis. Speaking on the final day of the event, Gauranga Das—an IIT Bombay graduate who left behind a promising engineering career to pursue a spiritual path—recalled his meeting with Pichai , who was part of the same IIT batch, albeit in a different branch. The two never crossed paths in college, but when they met years later, Pichai was quick to compliment the monk's youthful appearance. The spiritual leader attributed the difference in their looks to the contrasting lives they lead. Pichai, 53, who navigates the fast-paced, high-pressure world of global tech, apparently told Das, that the monk looks younger than him. To which Gauranga Das responded that Sundar Pichai deals with Google, 'which creates stress,' whereas he deals with God, 'who releases stress.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo The anecdote quickly resonated with the audience, serving as a segue into the monk's broader message about digital addiction and its impact on mental health. Das warned about the growing psychological crisis being amplified by excessive screen time and social media use. Quoting alarming statistics, he said that 230 million people around the world are addicted to social media. He further claimed that in India alone, 70% of teenagers spend seven hours daily online and that one in seven people around the world is suffering from mental health issues. Who is Gauranga Das? Gauranga Das, an alumnus of IIT Bombay, is a spiritual leader, environmentalist, and educator. Currently a member of ISKCON's Governing Body Commission, he serves as the director of Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV), a model of sustainable living founded by Radhanath Swami. Under his leadership, GEV received the UN World Tourism Organization Award in 2017 and gained accreditation with major UN bodies, including UNEP, ECOSOC, UNCCD, and CBD. Beyond environmental efforts, Gauranga Das plays a significant role in education and leadership development. He is on the board of the Govardhan School of Public Leadership, which prepares aspirants for the civil services, and he heads the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre, which preserves ancient Vedic manuscripts and offers postgraduate programs in philosophy. He is also the author of Art of Resilience and Art of Focus.
