PM Modi, Google CEO Sundar Pichai discuss Covid-19, misinformation in virtual interaction

Ahead of US tech giant Google announcing a big investment plan in India, Google CEO Sundar Pichai interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conference on Monday.

Pichai briefed the Prime Minister about the efforts undertaken by Google to help spread awareness and provide reliable information about Covid-19.

He said that the strong step of lockdown initiated by the Prime Minister set up a very strong foundation of India’s battle against the pandemic.

US based tech giant Google on Monday announced that it will invest Rs 75,000 crore in India over the next 5-7 years through ‘Google for India Digitisation Fund’.

The PM also appreciated the proactive role played by Google in battling misinformation and conveying information about necessary precautions. He also talked about further leveraging technology in providing healthcare services, said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

The PM said that Indians are adjusting to and adopting technology at a rapid pace. He talked about farmers benefiting from technology and the possible wide-ranging benefits of AI in agriculture.

The PM also explored the idea of virtual labs that can be used by students as well as farmers. Sundar Pichai briefed the PM about new products and initiatives by Google in the country. He mentioned about the launch of AI Research Lab in Bengaluru, while also highlighting the benefits of Google's flood forecasting efforts.

The Prime Minister remarked that India is amongst the most open economies in the world. He also spoke about recent steps taken by the government towards reforming agriculture and about the campaign to create new jobs, while also highlighting the importance of re-skilling, the statement said.

The PM also discussed the issue of data security and concerns around privacy. He said that tech companies need to put in efforts to bridge the trust deficit. He also talked about cyber crimes and threats in the form of cyber attacks. Other areas of discussion included technological solutions to expand the scope of online education, access to technology in native languages, use of AR/VR to give a stadium-like viewing experience in the field of sports, and progress in the area of digital payments, said the statement.