Google chucks more money at India

Less than a year after its last major commitment to the country, internet giant Google has announced it will invest a further $10 billion in over the next few years.

At its (virtual) Google For India event, CEO Sundar Pichai spoke at length about what a big deal India is to him, what with him growing up there and everything. He eventually cut to the chase, saying: “Today, I’m excited to announce the Google for India Digitization Fund. Through this effort, we will invest ₹75,000 crore, or approximately $10 billion, into India over the next 5-7 years. We’ll do this through a mix of equity investments, partnerships, and operational, infrastructure and ecosystem investments.”

Here’s how it will break down:

• First, enabling affordable access and information for every Indian in their own language, whether it’s Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi or any other
• Second, building new products and services that are deeply relevant to India’s unique needs
• Third, empowering businesses as they continue or embark on their digital transformation
• Fourth, leveraging technology and AI for social good, in areas like health, education, and agriculture

Pichai plugged the Indian PM’s cunning plan to digitize India repeatedly, so this move seems to have a political element. It also coincides with growing animosity between India and China, including the banning of a bunch of Chinese apps in India, so this move could be interpreted as Google picking a team in that region. You can judge for yourself from the full presentation below.