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Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and Other US Tech Firms Endorse Digital India

Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and Other US Tech Firms Endorse Digital India

By Press Trust of India | Updated: 28 September 2015 17:36 IST

Top CEOs of American tech companies, which have played a key role in IT revolution the world is experiencing now, endorsed the ambitious Digital India programme during interactions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in San Jose on Saturday, describing it as a vision that would bring India technologically at par with the rest of the world.

(Also see: PM Modi in US: Beyond the Hype of Those Big Silicon Valley Announcements)

"Digital India will bring about solutions for the challenge of digital divide," said Satya Nadella, who took over as Microsoft CEO last year, at a dinner interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

(Also see: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Courts Silicon Valley Executives at Dinner)

"Let's empower people from Nanyuki to Srikakulam," Indian-American Nadella said as he detailed out how digital technology can empower people across the world as he talks about Skype for students between schools to exchange ideas.

Speaking at a Digital India dinner in San Jose, he said that next week Microsoft will announce cloud computing from data centres in India. The dinner was attended by who's who of Silicon Valley's corporate world.

PM Modi has accelerated effort to make India the next driver in innovation, said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google. He said India is the fastest growing startups in the world. "We are proud of what is happening in India and share Prime Minister's vision of digital India," he said.

PM closes with the big picture: #IndiaUS is the defining partnershp of the century for 2 reasons. Both converge here pic.twitter.com/pAFsiSusq9
-- Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) September 27, 2015

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayan said that the Digital India initiative would "transform India into a digitally empowered" knowledge economy. Prime Minister s vision of Digital India is exciting, he said.

It has the potential to uplift the while of society in India, he said, with top IT CEOs seated on the dais along with Prime Minister Modi at a dinner hosted in his honour.

(Also see: Digital India an Enterprise to Transform India, PM Modi Says in San Jose)

"I am sure Prime Minister Modi will take Digital India to greater heights," Narayen said, who moderated the discussion.

Along with Nadella, and Narayan, others seated on the dais were John Chambers, CEO of Cisco and next Chairman of US India Business Council (USIBC) and Google CEO Sunder Pichai.

Describing PM Modi as "amazing ambassador" of India, Chambers endorsed Digital India, saying it has the potential to bring about great changes in India. The US and India would be "very strong together under your leadership", it said.

(Also see: PM Modi Discusses Battery Technology Benefits for India With Tesla CEO)

Chambers said one has to compete against one's ability to innovate, and not against other companies or countries.

"If you can change India, you will change the world," he said, adding that Internet is the second equalizer in life after education.

(Also see: PM Modi Promises More Accountable and Transparent Governance)

Paul Jacobs executive chairman of Qualcomm said, "we are extremely excited and motivated" by the Prime Minister's Digital India initiative.

Observing that mobile technology is changing everybody's life, he said India is poised to be leader in digital technology.

Talking tech. Leader of @Microsoft , @google , @Qualcomm, @Cisco @Adobe & The Indus Entrepreneurs call on the PM pic.twitter.com/t11JuBLCHe
-- Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) September 27, 2015

Jacobs announced $150 million funds to fuel innovation in Indian startups. He also announced Design India initiative and labs, saying it would help in 'Make in India' program.

Sharing PM Modi's vision of using mobile phone as a key instrument of governance, he said: "India under Prime Minister Modi s leadership is moving in the right direction."

(Also see: Steve Jobs Went to India for Inspiration, Apple CEO Tim Cook Tells PM Modi)

Ahead of the dinner, Apple CEO Tim Cook; Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai met Prime Minister Modi at his hotel in San Jose. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Silicon Valley in more than three decades.

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