Watch: Sundar Pichai Turns 53 – From Carrying Water Buckets to Google CEO; He Recalls his Childhood Struggles
Watch: Sundar Pichai Turns 53 – From Carrying Water Buckets to Google CEO; He Recalls his Childhood Struggles
Pichai recalls childhood struggles of drought, lack of technology, and how it inspired his passion for innovation
As Sundar Pichai turns 53(June 10), the Google and Alphabet CEO’s life journey continues to inspire millions. Born in Chennai in 1972, Pichai’s rise to the top of one of the world’s most powerful tech companies is not just a story of talent, it’s a story of grit, humility, and vision shaped by hardship.
In a recent podcast, Pichai recalled the severe drought that hit his city during his childhood, where basic necessities like running water were scarce.
“We had no running water. It was a massive drought. Authorities would bring water in trucks — maybe eight buckets per household,” he shared. “So me and my brother, sometimes my mom, we would wait in line, get that.”
Growing up in a modest two-room apartment, Pichai also remembered the long wait for a telephone connection.
“There was a five-year waiting list. We got a rotary phone and it dramatically changed our lives. People would even come to our house to call their loved ones,” he said.
He described the impact of delayed access to even the most basic services like medical test results, which required hours of travel and repeated follow-ups.
“It would take two hours to go to the hospital and they’d say ‘it’s not ready, come back tomorrow.’ Now it takes five minutes,” Pichai reflected.
These early struggles, he said, sowed the seeds of his lifelong passion for technology. “Even as a kid, a light bulb went off in my head, the power of technology to change people’s lives.”
Today, as he leads Google’s global operations, Pichai often draws from these formative experiences using them to drive innovation, accessibility, and user-centric development.
His story is a reminder that even the humblest beginnings can lead to the most extraordinary paths.
