Sundar Pichai’s childhood home in Chennai was sold to Tamil actor and producer C Manikandan
Google CEO Sundar Pichai grew up in Chennai in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. He had lived there till the age of 20. Sundar Pichai’s ancestral home, Ashok Nagar, in Chennai was recently sold.
The house was sold to Tamil actor and producer C Manikandan. “Sundar Pichai has made our country proud and buying the house where he lived will be a proud achievement of my life,” C. Manikandan was quoted as saying by The Hindu as said.
Manikandan waited four months to complete the purchase of Pichai’s ancestral home in Chennai. This was because Pichai’s father RS Pichai was in the United States during this period.
Manikandan, who is also a real estate developer, said it was not Sundar Pichai’s property but his parents’ humility that threw him off. “I was enchanted by their humility and humble approach. Sundar’s mother made filter coffee herself and his father offered me the documents at the first meeting. His father even waited for hours at the registry office and paid all the necessary taxes before handing over the documents to me,” recalls Manikandan.
“His father even waited for hours at the registry office, paid all the necessary taxes before handing over the documents to me,” he said.
“Sundar’s dad broke down for a few minutes while handing over the documents as this was his first property,” the actor added.
Sundar’s neighbors also reminisced: “He used to live in this house until the age of 20… took selfies with his relatives on the balcony.”
Manikandan said the entire property was demolished by Pichai’s father, who bore the cost himself, and handed over the plot for development.
Manikandan plans to build a villa in the vacant space, which is expected to be completed within a year and a half.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai lived in his childhood home in Chennai until he was 20. He left the city to pursue a career in metallurgical engineering at IIT Kharagpur in 1989. After graduation, Pichai was offered a scholarship to Stanford.