Google CEO Sundar Pichai to announce new initiatives for small Indian businesses

Google CEO Sundar Pichai will start the new year with major announcements for small businesses and startups in India on January 4. He is currently touring India on a personal holiday with his family. 

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Pichai landed in India on Sunday and arrived in Jaipur in a private jet from Chennai. The local administration doesn't know about his whereabouts, but it is known that he is staying in a top hotel in his wife's home state. 

The event in New Delhi will be attended by Union Minister of IT Ravi Shankar Prasad and senior Google officials. Pichai is expected to announce Google's further inroads into India's Start Up India and Digital India initiatives. 

"As Indian small businesses chart their journey, technology is playing a pivotal role in helping them explore new markets, engage different audiences and compete more effectively. At Google, we are excited about partnering with small businesses to help them unlock exponential growth through the power of digital...We invite you to join senior leaders from Google, the industry and business owners like yourselves, as we shine the spotlight on the Indian SMB ecosystem and delve into how digital can be a game changer for your business," reads the Google invite, according to India Today. 

He had said in December 2015 he wants to help 20 million small and medium enterprises in India get online by 2017. 

This will be Pichai's second public event in India since taking up the position as CEO. He had announced the Google My Business tool in December 2015, which allows businesses to update information regarding business hours, phone numbers and other particulars on Google.

 Last month, Google had announced that seven Indian startups will be part of its third batch of 'Launchpad Accelerator'.  

Google has also partnered with RailTel to bring high-speed internet to 100 railway stations. Their aim is to bring internet to at least 400 railway stations.