Google investing USD 10 billion is acknowledgement of India's digital empowerment: Ravi Shankar Prasad

New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Union Communication, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad welcomed Google CEO Sundar Pichai's announcement of an investment of Rs 75,000 crore or approximately US$10 billion into India through Google for India Digistation Fund saying that the company is acknowledging India's digital empowerment.
"I am very happy to learn that Google is making a huge investment in the Google for India Digitisation Fund. Google today is a global brand and a platform of change, empowerment, innovation information, and digital awakening," Prasad said.
"Google is rising to the occasion by investing a fairly substantial amount in Indian Digital transformative fund. Sundar Pichai who is heading Google is a powerful symbol of the creative potential of India's human resource," he added.
The Union Minister further went on to say that India is important in the present world because it has a "stable democracy, an open society and seeking to transform the lives of ordinary Indians with the power of technology".
"I am very happy that Google is acknowledging India's digital empowerment, digital innovation, and the need to create further opportunities. I am quite clear that there is immense scope for Google to undertake new initiatives in the field of agriculture, weather prediction, healthcare, and digital education. These are great opportunities for 1.3 billion people which is full of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship," he added.
"I am quite sure the way this new fund is going to be used from creating digital infrastructure to promoting start-ups and enhances their potential is something that I would like to watch closely," he said.
The Minister hoped that Google would also help in developing villages in evolving as model digital villages.
"I would appreciate if Google takes up clusters of villages and develop them as model digital villages," he said further.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Monday announced an investment of Rs 75,000 crore or approximately US$10 billion into India over the next five to seven years through the 'Google for India Digistation Fund'.
This move is significant as it comes in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and multinational companies across the world look at alternative investment destinations. (ANI)