Pichai completed his BTech at IIT Kharagpur in 1993. He later moved to the US for higher studies.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai and ISKCON monk Gauranga Das were part of the 1993 IIT graduating batch. During an address at the India Global Forum (IGF) in London in June 2025, Das recalled Pichai telling him, “You look younger than me. One went on to lead Google. The other chose a life of spirituality. Both were IIT graduates from the same year, but their careers took them in entirely different directions. Pichai studied at IIT Kharagpur, while Das attended IIT Bombay. Years later, when the two met, a light-hearted exchange about their appearances turned into a memorable comparison between corporate life and spirituality. “You deal with Google, which creates stress. I deal with God, who releases stress,” he replied to the Google CEO. The remark became the most memorable part of their reunion story.
Pichai completed his BTech at IIT Kharagpur in 1993. Pichai joined Google in 2004. He became CEO of Google in August 2015. In December 2019, he also became CEO of Alphabet, Google’s parent company. The story of the two IIT alumni became widely discussed after Gauranga Das spoke about their meeting at the India Global Forum 2025 in London. They reportedly met years later, reportedly at Akash Ambani’s wedding in 2019.
Das was part of the same IIT batch as Pichai, although the two studied at different campuses and branches, according to a TOI report. Das said that Pichai remarked on his youthful appearance. “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,’” he said.
Sundar Pichai’s journey from IIT Kharagpur to the top of Google is one of the most recognisable Indian-origin success stories in the technology industry. He later moved to the US for higher studies, earning a master’s degree in materials science and engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He worked on products including Google Chrome and Chrome OS before taking on wider leadership responsibilities. Gauranga Das, also known as Gauranga Prabhu, followed a different route after graduating from IIT Bombay. Das eventually left his corporate career and pursued spirituality While Pichai entered the technology industry. He became a monk and senior leader within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Das recalled that he and Pichai had been in the same IIT batch but had not interacted during college.
