Google chucks more money at India

Less than a year after its last major commitment to the country, internet giant Google has announced it will invest a further $10 billion in over the next few years.

Scott Bicheno

July 13, 2020

1 Min Read
Google chucks more money at India

Less than a year after its last major commitment to the country, internet giant Google has announced it will invest a further $10 billion in over the next few years.

At its (virtual) Google For India event, CEO Sundar Pichai spoke at length about what a big deal India is to him, what with him growing up there and everything. He eventually cut to the chase, saying: “Today, I’m excited to announce the Google for India Digitization Fund. Through this effort, we will invest ₹75,000 crore, or approximately $10 billion, into India over the next 5-7 years. We’ll do this through a mix of equity investments, partnerships, and operational, infrastructure and ecosystem investments.”

Here’s how it will break down:

  • First, enabling affordable access and information for every Indian in their own language, whether it’s Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi or any other

  • Second, building new products and services that are deeply relevant to India’s unique needs

  • Third, empowering businesses as they continue or embark on their digital transformation

  • Fourth, leveraging technology and AI for social good, in areas like health, education, and agriculture

Pichai plugged the Indian PM’s cunning plan to digitize India repeatedly, so this move seems to have a political element. It also coincides with growing animosity between India and China, including the banning of a bunch of Chinese apps in India, so this move could be interpreted as Google picking a team in that region. You can judge for yourself from the full presentation below.

About the Author

Scott Bicheno

As the Editorial Director of Telecoms.com, Scott oversees all editorial activity on the site and also manages the Telecoms.com Intelligence arm, which focuses on analysis and bespoke content.
Scott has been covering the mobile phone and broader technology industries for over ten years. Prior to Telecoms.com Scott was the primary smartphone specialist at industry analyst Strategy Analytics’. Before that Scott was a technology journalist, covering the PC and telecoms sectors from a business perspective.
Follow him @scottbicheno

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