Sundar Pichai’s IIT batchmate Gauranga Das who turned ‘monk’ looks younger than him; his reason: ‘You deal with Google, I deal with God’ |

Sundar Pichai’s IIT batchmate Gauranga Das who turned ‘monk’ looks younger than him; his reason: ‘You deal with Google, I deal with God’

In a moment that appealed to seekers of spirituality as well as tech enthusiasts, there was an unforgettable exchange between Google CEO Sundar Pichai and ISKCON monk Gauranga Das at the India Global Forum 2025 in London. The discussion between them, which had started lively with a jocular remark about being youthful, soon turned into an introspective discussion on the stark contrast between corporate stress and spiritual tranquility.Gauranga Das, a graduate from IIT Bombay, who now heads programs in sustainable living and spiritual education, used the moment to highlight some of the most pressing concerns of our digital times – mental health and the increasing digital addiction epidemic.The difference between these two IIT graduates was more than physical or professional; it was philosophical. While one sits at the head of one of the most influential tech giants in the world, the other has dedicated his life to leading people to inner understanding and spiritual direction. The meeting wasn’t merely a reunion; it was a comparison of two radically different directions based on the same intellectual heritage. It was an effective metaphor for the decisions contemporary society must make today: progress without equilibrium, or innovation backed by internal wellness.

IIT Monk to Sundar Pichai: ‘Google brings stress, God releases it

Gauranga Das and Sundar Pichai, though having started at the same time at IIT Bombay, followed different career paths early on in life. Pichai went into technology and became the CEO of Google, a company that is at the heart of the digital revolution. Das instead went down the path of spiritual discovery and service, becoming an ISKCON member and dedicating himself to bringing ancient wisdom into modern settings.Their meeting at the India Global Forum 2025 was noticed when Pichai noted the way young Gauranga Das looked compared to his age. Das responded with an answer that went viral instantly for its simplicity and profundity:“Sundar Pichai deals with Google, which creates stress, whereas I deal with God, who releases stress.”This one sentence highlighted a wider discussion regarding what it means to live from purpose rather than performance. It also spawned a wider debate regarding how spiritual tools can assist with coping with rising levels of stress inflicted as a result of round-the-clock digital interaction.

70% of Indian teens spend 7 hours online: ISKCON monk warns of mental health fallout

In his address to the forum, Gauranga Das reported shocking statistics regarding digital addiction, specifically social media. Based on the information he provided, more than 230 million individuals globally are addicted to social media. In India alone, 70% of adolescents spend as much as seven hours per day on the net, a figure that indicates increasing worry for parents, teachers, and mental health professionals.Das linked these figures to the wider problem of declining mental health worldwide. Referring to world trends, he identified that one in seven individuals is presently suffering from some sort of mental health difficulty. These are anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and chronic stress; maladies that are increasingly being attributed to excessive exposure to digital content and a mindfulness deficit in daily life.This was not simply an attack on technology, but a call to awaken to how we engage with it. Das leveraged the platform to promote a more holistic digital life, one that includes frequent breaks, mindful use, and spiritual anchoring.

A spiritual path grounded in scientific wisdom

Gauranga Das is not only a monk who has spiritual wisdom; he is also an engineer who has been trained and who has a deep understanding of how technology functions and how it may affect human psychology. This makes him uniquely qualified in matters that lie at the interface between science and spirituality.Das is also a senior member of the Governing Body Commission of ISKCON and the director of Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV), a green living community that was established under the inspiration of Radhanath Swami. GEV is not only an ashram, it is a widely acclaimed model of how to apply ancient wisdom to modern sustainability practices. It won the UN World Tourism Organization Award in 2017, and it is also accredited with key United Nations organisations such as UNEP, ECOSOC, UNCCD, and CBD.Under Das’s stewardship, GEV has turned into an exemplar of the way communities can be in harmony with nature yet maintain essential spiritual principles. It should not be astonishing that numerous young professionals, such as engineers, physicians, and policy makers, now journey to the Ecovillage for leadership training and retreats.

Gauranga Das’s unique approach to leadership

Aside from his work in the Ecovillage, Gauranga Das also heads the Govardhan School of Public Leadership, an institution that prepares wannabe civil servants of India. The founder created the school to develop resilient leaders imbued with ethical values by the integration of Vedic wisdom alongside contemporary public policy training.Das also leads the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre, where ancient manuscripts are kept, translated, and analysed in academic contexts. This centre offers postgraduate studies in philosophy and comparative religion, providing students access to systems of knowledge that are both ancient and extremely useful today.Through such platforms, Das prioritises staying resilient, focused, and mentally clear; qualities that are typically undervalued in demanding corporate settings but are key to sustained success and satisfaction.

Books that bridge the gap between worlds

To make spiritual insights more common, Gauranga Das has written two influential books:

Both books borrow from scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita but touch on very contemporary issues like office burnout, distraction, and individual discontentment. These books have spoken to spiritual seekers as well as working professionals seeking down-to-earth, real-life counsel on surviving life’s stress.In interviews and talks, Das has consistently emphasised that spiritual tools are not exclusive to monks or renunciants. They are equally relevant to CEOs, students, and anyone navigating the complexities of modern life.