Union minister recalls meeting with Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Here's why

“When Google's Vice President returns from India, he speaks of India's UPI digital platform,” Anurag Thakur opined.

Union minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday recalled his meeting with Google's Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai who had visited India recently.

“Sundar Pichai was here around 3 months back. He met me at an event in Delhi & said that he still carries the hard copy of his COVID vaccination certificate whereas in India PM Modi's govt made possible digital copies and free vaccines", the minister said, recalling his meeting with the tech boss to laud the Centre's vaccination drive.

Anurag Thakur (PTI)

Thakur added further, “When Google's Vice President returns from India, he speaks of India's UPI digital platform. People outside were still issuing cheques during COVID, while, in India ₹31,000 Crores was transferred to the bank accounts of 21 crore women with the click of a button…”

Prime Minister Modi himself called the RuPay and UPI technologies “India's identity” in the world. Addressing a post-Budget webinar on “Enhancing Efficiency of the Financial Services for Creating Growth Opportunities,” Modi said, “RuPay and UPI are not just a low cost and highly secure technology, but it is our identity in the world. There is immense scope for innovation… UPI should become a means of financial inclusion and empowerment for the whole world, we have to work for it collectively,” Modi was quoted by news agency ANI.

Meanwhile, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has embarked on a publicity blitzkrieg to mark nine years in power. The first Narendra Modi government was sworn in on May 26, 2014.