Google employee shares ‘surreal’ moment of meeting Sundar Pichai: ‘Corporate fangirl moment unlocked’
A Google employee shared a video after meeting Sundar Pichai at the Gurgaon office.
A Google employee’s heartfelt post about meeting CEO Sundar Pichai has struck a chord online. The interaction, shared on LinkedIn and Instagram, quickly gained traction, drawing widespread reactions from social media users.

Meeting a long time role model
Taking to LinkedIn, Tanushi Gupta, a Digital Marketing Strategist at Google, shared a video capturing her interaction with Sundar Pichai at the company’s Gurgaon office. Alongside the clip, she reflected on the emotional significance of the moment, describing it as a dream years in the making.
"There are some moments that don’t feel real even while you’re standing inside them. Yesterday, at our Google Gurgaon office, I shook hands with the person whose name I’ve written under ‘Role Model’ since I was a teenager. Sundar Pichai. And for a few seconds, time folded," she wrote.
Gupta admitted that the encounter left her overwhelmed. "I’d be lying if I said I didn’t loose my calm. I wasn’t just a Digital Marketing Strategist at Google. I was the little girl who chose machines over makeup. The student who was endlessly curious about tech. The girl who believed that building things mattered more than buying things."
She added that her admiration for Pichai had remained constant since her school days, explaining that his journey from India to leading one of the world’s most influential technology companies made success feel attainable.
‘A full circle moment’
In her post, Gupta described the handshake as symbolic of years of effort and inspiration. "Yesterday, when I shook his hand, it wasn’t just a greeting. It was years of silent admiration meeting years of hard work. It was proof that the dreams you quietly protect protect you back. It felt surreal. It felt emotional. It felt like a full circle whisper from the universe saying, ‘Keep going.’"
She concluded by calling the experience unforgettable, writing, "Some moments you post for engagement. Some moments you post because your heart is too full to stay silent. This one is the moment of my life. One handshake came with a lifetimes of bragging rights and I might not be able to shut up about it, ever. Grateful. Inspired. Still processing."
Check out the post here:
Gupta later shared the same video on Instagram with a shorter caption that read, "Corporate fan girl moment unlocked. When we met our CEO."
Take a look here at the post:
Social media reacts
The video has garnered more than 259,000 views on Instagram. Many users congratulated her while others shared similar experiences of meeting public figures they admire.
One user commented, "It’s the success of doing Engineering in Life," while another joked, "Google it? Nah, she met him." A viewer wrote, "The fact that it took us a while to absorb this moment. Core memory unlocked together," reflecting the emotional tone of the post.
Some users related their own encounters, with one writing, "I also went to see him in Bharat Mandapam. I came for 3 hours drive, 10,000 steps walking and he just came and go in 5 minutes."
ABOUT THE AUTHORMahipal Singh ChouhanMahipal Singh Chouhan is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital, with nearly five years of experience in digital journalism and content production. His work primarily focuses on offbeat and trending stories that reflect everyday experiences and evolving conversations on the internet. He has consistently worked on transforming viral content and human interest stories into structured news pieces that engage readers while maintaining editorial clarity. At Hindustan Times, Mahipal contributes to identifying and developing stories emerging from social media trends, online communities, and real-world incidents that capture public attention. His approach involves adding context and journalistic perspective to fast-moving digital narratives, helping present viral moments in a clear and reader-friendly format suited for digital audiences. Before joining Hindustan Times Digital, he was associated with DNA India, where he gained experience in newsroom workflows and digital storytelling practices. Mahipal holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, Delhi. He is particularly interested in tracking emerging trends and understanding how online conversations evolve into broader public discussions. His work reflects a focus on accuracy, readability, and relevance in the rapidly changing digital news environment. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Mahipal takes an interest in history and sports and regularly works on improving his general knowledge, which complements his curiosity as a media professional.Read More

E-Paper


