— Gauranga Das (IIT Bombay alumnus and ISKCON monk), speaking to Sundar Pichai at the India Global Forum 2025, held at Taj St. James’ Court, London, on June 24, 2025
| Topic | Details |
| Who is Gauranga Das? | An IIT Bombay alumnus turned monk; Director of the Govardhan Ecovillage (an ISKCON initiative); spiritual mentor; international sustainability advocate. |
| Education | B.Tech in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT Bombay |
| Relation to Sundar Pichai | Batchmate at IIT in the early 1990s. Both hail from highly reputed Indian institutes, though in different departments. |
| Famous Quote | “You deal with Google, which creates stress. I deal with God, who releases stress.” |
| Where It Was Said | At the India Global Forum (IGF) 2025 held in London, on the sidelines of a panel on Mindful Leadership in the Age of AI |
| Date of Exchange | June 21, 2025 – same day as International Yoga Day |
| Occasion/Setting | Informal conversation post-panel between Gauranga Das and Sundar Pichai, in front of a small group of delegates and spiritual leaders. |
| Witnesses | Panel attendees including moderators from the India Global Forum, spiritual representatives from ISKCON, and a few global tech entrepreneurs. |
| Why It Went Viral | The quote was seen as a symbolic collision of Silicon Valley intensity vs spiritual clarity—and was picked up by multiple global outlets. |
| Published By | The Economic Times India, MSN, and various education and lifestyle media outlets in June 2025 |
| Impact | Sparked conversations globally on the importance of balance, especially among tech professionals. It became a widely cited quote on mindfulness. |
A Reunion of Paths: London, June 24, 2025
Picture a grand auditorium at the India Global Forum in London. One side, tech royalty—Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet. On the other, spiritual serenity personified—Gauranga Das, his IIT batchmate from Bombay, now a serene ISKCON monk. They hadn’t crossed paths on campus, but their reunion was memorable: Pichai, mid-conversation with Das, paused and grinned—you haven’t aged a day. The monk’s reply? That one-liner above. The audience hushed, then laughed, then leaned in—curious what came next.
Chapter 1: Two IITians, Two Journeys
Gauranga Das (BTech IIT Bombay) pursued corporate and tech roles—until a higher calling led him to ISKCON and life as a monk. He thrives on meditation, mindful service, and authored The Art of Resilience and The Art of Focus. Meanwhile, Sundar Pichai (BTech IIT Kharagpur → Stanford → Wharton) rose through Google ranks to helm one of the most influential tech giants. Both started in the same alumni program, but one would manage algorithms, the other, ancient mantras.
Chapter 2: From Code to Contemplation
Das’s transformation wasn’t abrupt—it was deliberate. From bustling cubicles to spiritual retreats, he gradually shaped an existence grounded in self-reflection. He now leads at Govardhan Ecovillage, teaches public leadership, preserves Vedic texts, and lives proof that stress doesn’t have to be one’s companion.
Chapter 3: A Friendly Summit—Tech Meets Spirituality
The forum’s theme: tech, humanity, and resilience. So what better stage for a wise contrast? Pichai admired Das’s youthful radiance. Das responded with humility—Google may create stress, but God releases it. A simple declaration, yet profound: in the digital age, our soul’s software needs rebooting too.
Chapter 4: The Digital Dilemma
Das went further. He warned: 230 million globally hooked to social media; in India, 70% of teens spend over 7 hours online—lockdown culture on steroids. Mental health issues are tumbling skyward. It wasn’t just about monks vs. moguls—it was a caution for all.
Chapter 5: Sundar’s Balanced Blueprint
Pichai wasn’t in the crosshairs. He shared earlier how his IIT Kharagpur mantra—“act decisively, remember most choices aren’t irreversible”—helped steady his nerves as he led Chrome, Android, Gmail, and now AI innovation . He met Das with curiosity, not judgment.
Chapter 6: Wisdom in Contrast
At one podium—technology’s pulse; at the other—eternal calm. This moment etched a truth: stress is optional. You can scale skyscrapers or inner peace. The beauty? Tech and Spirit can dialogue, not fight. Pichai gains insight; Das spreads mindfulness; we witness hope.
Chapter 7: Why This Moment Matters
- For Tech Leaders & Makers: A reminder—innovation demands balance. Mind, heart, and soul matter.
- For Youth & Students: Yes to ambition, no to burnout. Learn resilience from both IIT labs and spiritual texts.
- For Everyone Online: Screen sabbaticals, meditation breaks—staying human in a hyper-connected digital world isn’t optional, it’s essential.
IN DETAILS:
You Deal with Google. I Deal with God.
London, June 2025. The ballroom at Taj St. James’ Court brimmed with anticipation. The India Global Forum was in full swing, and tech magnates, policy makers, and spiritual thinkers mingled over gourmet hors d’oeuvres. But amidst the suits and Silicon Valley flair, one figure stood out.
He wasn’t in a blazer or boasting stock portfolios. He wore saffron. His smile was measured. His posture—a sculpture of stillness.
It was Gauranga Das, monk, teacher, environmentalist, and alumnus of IIT Bombay.
Across the room stood his batchmate from another IIT—Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet. The contrast couldn’t have been sharper. One wielded algorithms. The other lived by scriptures. One spoke to shareholders. The other guided seekers.
When they hugged, the crowd leaned in. Cameras clicked. Old friends, vastly different lives. What came next wasn’t just a quote—it was a cultural moment.
“You deal with Google, which creates stress. I deal with God, who releases stress.”
No insult. No rivalry. Just the truth.
And the world listened.
Back in the 1990s, two brilliant boys cracked the code to India’s toughest dream—IIT. Gauranga Das, then known by his birth name Hrishikesh Mafatlal, joined IIT Bombay, while Pichai joined IIT Kharagpur. Both rose through steel and structure, shaped by pressure, precision, and promise.
But while one was destined to chart a path from metallurgy to Mountain View, the other would journey from hostels to the Himalayas—searching not for apps, but for answers.
Gauranga’s tryst with the divine began after IIT, when the predictable world of careers began to feel mechanical. Even though he had a bright future in corporate India, something gnawed at him. No amount of productivity metrics could silence the growing void. He started visiting ISKCON temples. Not out of ritual, but desperation.
And that’s where the transformation began.
By 1993, he took monastic vows and entered the Bhaktivedanta order. A complete reorientation—spiritual, personal, professional.
While Sundar Pichai was navigating his journey in Google—from Chrome to Android to Cloud—Gauranga Das was leading projects like Govardhan Ecovillage, blending Vedic principles with modern sustainability.
The contrast wasn’t just philosophical. It was planetary.
One was commanding Google’s AI future, while the other was teaching thousands to unplug, meditate, and reflect. In fact, his teachings—especially through books like The Art of Focus—are now being used in IIM Nagpur classrooms, IITs, and corporate mindfulness programs across the world.
Yet, never once did Gauranga criticize the world he left behind. He simply found a deeper one.
At the forum, when the media asked him how it felt to see Sundar Pichai rise to global stardom, his response was pure grace:
“He is helping humanity find answers faster. I am helping them ask the right questions.”
He speaks not like a competitor, but like a complement. Both are IIT graduates. Both are Indian icons. But they represent two vital forces: acceleration and awareness.
It is no surprise that quotes by Gauranga Das are now appearing alongside Sundar Pichai’s speeches on leadership, AI, and ethics.
As the world gets noisier, Gauranga’s words offer a counterpoint:
“You are not your LinkedIn headline. You are the silence behind your thoughts.”
Interestingly, Sundar Pichai’s journey has also not been without reflection. In his now-famous “You Will Prevail” speech, he reminded students at his alma mater about resilience, not just innovation. And perhaps that’s why their reunion felt symbolic.
Both deal in technology and transformation—just in vastly different ways.
One writes emails to millions of employees. The other writes scriptures on consciousness.
One studies the data in the cloud. The other finds clarity in the inner sky.
A Google CEO and a Hare Krishna monk, both from India’s IIT system, both speaking to a world in desperate need of balance. One curates progress. The other cultivates peace.
Their exchange—an IIT graduate’s career vs. another’s spiritual pilgrimage—was less about competition, more about complement. Pichai nodded. Das smiled. And the audience? They’re rethinking what “success” truly means.
1.The Economic Times (ET Panache)
Title: Sundar Pichai met his IIT batchmate-turned monk who looked ‘younger’. His reply: ‘You deal with Google, I with God’
Published: June 22, 2025
🔗 https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/sundar-pichai-met-his-iit-batchmate-monk-who-looked-younger-his-reply-you-deal-with-google-i-with-god/articleshow/122039184.cms
2. The Times of India (Tech)
Title: ‘You deal with Google, I deal with God’: Sundar Pichai’s IIT batchmate Gauranga Das who turned monk explains his peaceful path
Published: June 22, 2025
🔗 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/sundar-pichais-iit-batchmate-gauranga-das-who-turned-monk-looks-younger-than-him-his-reason-you-deal-with-google-i-deal-with-god/articleshow/122066609.cms
3. Financial Express
Title: ‘Google creates stress…’: IITian, who is now ISKCON monk, once told Sundar Pichai
Published: June 22, 2025
https://www.financialexpress.com/trending/google-creates-stress-iitian-who-is-now-iskcon-monk-once-told-sundar-pichai/3889924/
Source:
- Times of India – “‘You deal with Google, I deal with God’: Sundar Pichai’s IIT batchmate Gauranga Das who turned ‘monk’ explains his peaceful path and why he still looks so young”
- Economic Times – “‘Google creates stress, I deal with relief’: When Sundar Pichai got reality check from IIT batchmate who took the road less travelled”
- United New Of India – “https://uniindia.com/from-iit-to-inner-transformation-gauranga-das-calls-for-a-revival-of-dharmic-values-at-igf-london/prnewswire/news/3495902.html”
