[video type='youtube' id='fVwa78onlpk' data-height='350']
Sundar Pichai, the Indian-born CEO of Google, has welcomed Narendra Modi to the Silicon Valley through a YouTube video. In the video message he says there is tremendous excitement about Modi's arrival in the valley.
Pichai emphasises on the role that tech companies need to play to connect the next billion Internet users. "The bond between India and the Silicon Valley is strong. India has long been an exporter of talent to tech companies. The products built by Indian graduates from IIT and other institutions have helped revolutionise the world. But it is India that’s now undergoing its own revolution," he said.
He predicts that Modi's "Digital India" revolution will have great benefits for everyone in the country. "We will get people online for the first time - people in rural areas, Indic language speakers, girls will learn new skills and have successful careers, and help businesses of all sizes to find new customers," he said.
The first Indian leader to visit California in more than three decades, Modi will have meetings with Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla's iconic CEO Elon Musk, among others. Modi will also be meeting Satya Nadella and Shantanu Narayen, the India-born CEO's of Microsoft and Adobe respectively.
Modi will also address the India-US Startup Konnect and share his vision on 'Start up India, Stand up India'. Innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and renewable energy are the key areas that Modi will focus on during his visit.
Pichai concluded his video message by saying that he hopes Modi's visit will energise people in the valley, excite Indians all across the country and strengthen the Google-government partnership.