One went on to lead Google. The other chose a life of spirituality. Both were IIT graduates from the same year, but their careers took them in entirely different directions. Google CEO Sundar Pichai and ISKCON monk Gauranga Das were part of the 1993 IIT graduating batch. Pichai studied at IIT Kharagpur, while Das attended IIT Bombay. Years later, when the two met, a light-hearted exchange about their appearances turned into a memorable comparison between corporate life and spirituality.During an address at the India Global Forum (IGF) in London in June 2025, Das recalled Pichai telling him, “You look younger than me.” “You deal with Google, which creates stress. I deal with God, who releases stress,” he replied to the Google CEO. The remark became the most memorable part of their reunion story.
Sundar Pichai: The IIT graduate who became Google CEO
Das was part of the same IIT batch as Pichai, although the two studied at different campuses and branches.
Sundar Pichai’s journey from IIT Kharagpur to the top of Google is one of the most recognisable Indian-origin success stories in the technology industry. Pichai completed his BTech at IIT Kharagpur in 1993. He later moved to the US for higher studies, earning a master’s degree in materials science and engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.Pichai joined Google in 2004. He worked on products including Google Chrome and Chrome OS before taking on wider leadership responsibilities. He became CEO of Google in August 2015. In December 2019, he also became CEO of Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Gauranga Das: The IIT Bombay graduate who chose a spiritual life
Gauranga Das, also known as Gauranga Prabhu, followed a different route after graduating from IIT Bombay. According to a TOI report, Das was part of the same IIT batch as Pichai, although the two studied at different campuses and branches. While Pichai entered the technology industry, Das eventually left his corporate career and pursued spirituality. He became a monk and senior leader within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).Das is also an author of books including The Art of Resilience and The Art of Focus. His work has included spiritual education, social initiatives and leadership programmes. His professional life is centred on spirituality, teaching and service.
When Sundar Pichai met his IIT batchmate again
Pichai and Das share an academic connection, but their professional journeys are very different.
The story of the two IIT alumni became widely discussed after Gauranga Das spoke about their meeting at the India Global Forum 2025 in London. Das recalled that he and Pichai had been in the same IIT batch but had not interacted during college. They reportedly met years later, reportedly at Akash Ambani’s wedding in 2019. Das said that Pichai remarked on his youthful appearance. “Years later, we met, and he said, ‘You look younger than me.’ I replied, ‘You deal with Google, which creates stress. I deal with God, who releases stress,’” he said.The joke captured the difference between their careers.
Two IIT alumni, two very different ideas of success
Pichai and Das share an academic connection, but their professional journeys are very different. Pichai pursued technology, worked his way up at Google and became the CEO of the company. Das chose spirituality, became an ISKCON monk and built a public career around teaching, writing and social work. Their story is not about one path being better than the other. It is about how two graduates from the same IIT batch can make very different choices about their lives.
