Google’s new CEO Sundar Pichai is IIT-Kharagpur alumnus

"Sundar was a hard working student who made best use of our platform for development of his fundamental knowledge of electronic materials""

Google’s new CEO Sundar Pichai. File photo: Kamal Narang

Several months ago Professor Sanat Kumar Roy of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur received a call from a Wall Street Journal journalist seeking details of Sundar Pichai , a former student of department of  Metallurgical  and Materials Engineering who was appointed Vice President of Google.

After going through the records of the department, Prof. Roy, who had been associated with the department for four decades said that there was no student going by that name. It was only days later that the senior faculty member realised that Sundar Pitchai is P Sundarrajan who was awarded B C Roy Silver Medal in 1993. He learnt from the alumni chapter of IIT-KGP in New York that the student that went by P Sundarrajan in institute records is Sundar Pitchai, who is appointed as the new global CEO of the Google.

"The B C Roy Silver Medal is awarded to the student from our department who secures highest marks,” Prof Roy told The Hindu .

“Sundar was a hard working student who made best use of our platform for development of his fundamental knowledge of electronic materials. From the third years he began interested in studying behaviour of electronic materials,”   the 71- year professor said.

Prof Roy recollected that the B. Tech thesis on the student was also on electronic materials.  While the professor is trying to recollect memories one of thousands of students who graduated under him on Tuesday when the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur is abuzz with talks of the student who will replace Larry Page as Google’s CEO.

“Congratulations Sundar. You are an inspiration for IITKGP students and the whole IITKGP family is proud of you. Wish you the very best!!,” P P Chakraborty, the director of the oldest IIT  wrote on face book page created to congratulate Mr. Pitchai.  Hours after the page  >https://www.facebook.com/events/506766656144489/  was created many students congratulated the alumnus of the institute.

Two days ago during the annual convocation of IIT- KGP the institute awarded distinguish alumni award to Sundar Pichai.