From data security to AI in agriculture, Modi, Pichai hold wide-ranging talks

We spoke on a wide range of subjects, particularly leveraging the power of technology to transform the lives of India's farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs, the PM said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Monday held discussions on a wide range of issues such as data security and concerns around privacy, use of technology to transform lives of farmers and ways to expand the scope of online education, the prime minister's office said.

During the virtual interaction, they also spoke about the new work culture that is emerging in the times of COVID-19.

"We discussed the challenges the global pandemic has brought to areas such as sports.

“We also talked about the importance of data security and cyber safety," the prime minister said in a series of tweets.

According to a statement issued by the PMO, Modi also talked about further leveraging technology in providing healthcare services.

During the course of interaction, the prime minister discussed the issue of data security and concerns around privacy.

"He (PM) said that tech companies need to put in efforts to bridge the trust deficit. He also talked about cyber crimes and threats in the form of cyber attacks," the statement said.

The prime minister talked about farmers benefiting from technology and the possible wide-ranging benefits of artificial intelligence in agriculture.

The prime minister explored the idea of virtual labs that can be used by students as well as farmers, the statement said.

"This morning, had an extremely fruitful interaction with Sundar Pichai.

“We spoke on a wide range of subjects, particularly leveraging the power of technology to transform the lives of India's farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs," the prime minister said.

Pichai is the chief executive officer of Alphabet Inc and its subsidiary Google LLC.

The prime minister remarked that India is amongst the most open economies in the world.

He also spoke about recent steps taken by the government towards reforming agriculture.

Modi also spoke about the campaign to create new jobs, while also highlighting the importance of re-skilling.

Other areas of discussion included technological solutions to expand the scope of online education, access to technology in native language, use of AR/VR (augmented reality and virtual reality) to give a stadium-like viewing experience in the field of sports, and progress in the area of digital payments, the statement said.

Modi appreciated the proactive role played by Google in battling misinformation and conveying information about necessary precautions regarding the coronavirus.

Pichai briefed the prime minister about new products and initiatives by Google in the country. He mentioned about the launch of AI Research Lab in Bengaluru, while also highlighting the benefits of Google's flood forecasting efforts.

The prime minister was briefed about Google's plan to launch a large investment fund and develop strategic partnerships in India.

Pichai later announced India Digitisation Fund to invest Rs 75,000 crore in the country over the next 5-7 years.

According to the statement, Pichai said that the "strong step" of lockdown initiated by the prime minister set up a "very strong foundation of India's battle against the pandemic".

Photograph: Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters