'Google creates stress, I deal with relief': When Sundar Pichai got reality check from IIT batchmate who took the road less travelled

ISKCON monk Gauranga Das shared an interesting anecdote about meeting Google CEO Sundar Pichai during a London event. Speaking on the final day of the India Global Forum 2025, Das — an IIT Bombay BTech graduate — recalled how Pichai, who is the same age as him, once complimented him on his youthful appearance.

ISKCON monk Gauranga Das, an IIT Bombay alumnus who left behind a promising career to embrace a spiritual path, shared a memorable anecdote about meeting Google CEO Sundar Pichai during a talk at the India Global Forum 2025 in London.

Speaking at the event held at Taj St. James’ Court, Das recalled how he and Pichai were part of the same batch at IIT, though they studied in different branches and never interacted during their college years. Das pursued engineering at IIT Bombay, while Pichai studied metallurgical engineering at IIT Kharagpur.


“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,’” said the ISKCON monk.

Das attributed his youthful appearance to a stress-free lifestyle rooted in spirituality, contrasting it with the pressures of the modern digital world. He also spoke about the harmful impact of social media on mental health, warning of rising digital addiction and loneliness among youth.

“We have a huge problem. Globally, 230 million are addicted to social media. In Bharat alone, 70% of teenagers spend seven hours daily online. One in seven people around the world is suffering from mental health issues,” he said.

Gauranga Das, also known as Gauranga Prabhu (born ASK Anand), is a prominent Indian Vaishnava monk and senior leader within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He holds several key positions in the organisation and is widely respected for his spiritual and social contributions.

Das left a corporate career early in life to dedicate himself fully to spiritual service. He is also a published author, with books such as The Art of Resilience and The Art of Focus to his name.

It is believed that he first met Sundar Pichai during Akash Ambani’s wedding in 2019.