The Mammoth Brand That Redefined Knowledge Intake

Yes. Google dreamt big. And achieved much more. Right from the get go, Google’s PR campaign has been primarily focused on retaining the leadership position among competing search engines. 

Thanks to Google, now everyone has access to the contents of the libraries of Oxford, Stanford, Harvard, the University of Michigan, and the research collections of New York Public Library available at the click of a button. Google’s partnership with libraries was a strategic move. Not only have they ‘co-branded’ their name with those of prestigious libraries, they have scored an end-run around reluctant publishers. 

Digitizing millions of books has relieved us of the need to travel to physical libraries and hunt painstakingly through miles of shelves to find what we need. Now, regardless of geographic or economic barriers, schoolchildren in poor countries can be on an equal footing with Harvard students.  

Supercharging the adoption of digital tools 

Further, one of the challenges of this moment is that we can’t visit the people we love, or the places we call home. During this time, the ability to be online has been a lifeline to so many of us: whether you’re a small business trying to stay afloat…a parent looking for updates on how to keep your family healthy…or a student trying to keep up with your studies. Being helpful in these moments is at the core of Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. 

A digitized India 

Further, the US tech giant has committed to investing US$10 billion into India’s digitization, according to an announcement by CEO Sundar Pichai.  

The bold pledge came at the tech giant’s Google for India event, where Pichai laid out plans to invest the figure into India’s digital economy over the next 5 to 7 years. Working alongside Prime Minister Modi and the Indian Government, the Google for India Digitization Fund will distribute that figure through a mix of equity investments, partnerships, and operational, infrastructure and ecosystem investments. 

Investments will focus on four areas important to India’s digitization: 

• First, enabling affordable access and information for every Indian in their own language, whether it’s Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi or any other 

• Second, building new products and services that are deeply relevant to India’s unique needs 

• Third, empowering businesses as they continue or embark on their digital transformation 

• Fourth, leveraging technology and AI for social good, in areas like health, education, and agriculture 

India is a key market for the American firm. With 1.3 billion people, the market remains a huge growth opportunity that’s yet to be really unlocked. 

Indian small businesses go digital  

One of the most exciting success stories has been the digitization of small businesses. Just four years ago, only one-third of all small businesses in India had an online presence. Today, 26 million SMBs are now discoverable on Search and Maps, driving connections with more than 150 million users every month. Moreover, small merchants across the country are now equipped to accept digital payments. This has made it possible for more small businesses to become part of the formal economy, and it improves their access to credit. 

Through these examples, Google has proved that even challenging times can lead to incredible moments of innovation. And with digitization at the core of its business strategy, we can only say that Google’s best days are still ahead.   

We at Hashbrown Systems, have worked over the years with new entrants as well as established brands to build new channels for direct growth in business. With our cloud-first, data centric approach, we have demonstrated direct savings, waste reduction and a direct increase in sales.   

Contact us to learn more about our software, solutions and services, and how we could be of service to your organization.