‘Such a humble man’: Sundar Pichai smiles and waves as crowd chants his name at AI summit
Sundar Pichai smiled and waved at a cheering crowd during India AI Impact Summit 2026 visit.
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai’s recent visit to the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi has sparked widespread attention online after a video captured a warm interaction between the tech leader and a crowd of admirers.

The clip, shared on Instagram by a user named Priyanshu, shows Pichai walking alongside officials at the summit venue when people gathered nearby began calling out his name, chanting “Sundar”. Noticing the cheers, Pichai turns towards the crowd, smiles and waves back, acknowledging them with a brief yet friendly gesture.
Watch the clip here:
The video quickly gained traction on social media, with viewers praising the CEO’s grounded demeanour. The clip was shared with a caption that read: “Such a humble man he is”, reflecting the sentiment echoed by many users in the comments section.
Keynote speech recalls student memories
Earlier in the day, Pichai delivered a keynote address at Bharat Mandapam, where he reflected on his early years as a student travelling across India. Recalling journeys on the Coromandel Express from Chennai to IIT Kharagpur, he spoke about witnessing a different era of the country’s technological and economic landscape.
He also remembered a quieter Visakhapatnam, describing it as a city filled with untapped potential. Drawing a parallel between those memories and present-day India’s rapid digital transformation, Pichai emphasised the country’s growing influence in global innovation and artificial intelligence.
Google announces major AI investment
During his address, Pichai announced that Google will establish a full stack AI hub in Visakhapatnam as part of a $15 billion infrastructure investment in India. The upcoming facility is expected to include gigawatt scale compute capacity along with a new international subsea cable gateway.
According to the announcement, the project aims to position the coastal city as a global artificial intelligence node while strengthening India’s role in the international technology ecosystem.
Summit focuses on global collaboration
The India AI Impact Summit 2026, being held from February 16 to 20, has brought together policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and industry stakeholders from across the world. The five day event centres on harnessing artificial intelligence for shared global growth under three key pillars: People, Planet and Progress.
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

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