Google CEO Sundar Pichai predicted on Monday that India will become a major export economy and urged the country to strike a balance between protecting its population and allowing firms to develop within its framework.

Pichai said at the Google for India event that the firm is putting its attention on Indian entrepreneurs and that of the USD 300 million it plans to invest in these businesses, around USD 100 million would go to organisations run by women.

He argued that the global reach and impact of the technology need careful and well-considered regulation.

Given India’s size and its likely technological preeminence, it’s crucial to strike a fair balance and provide protections for its citizens. If you want businesses to be able to innovate on top of legal certainty, you need to create an inventive framework like the one you are. This is a crucial juncture, in my opinion. There will be significant exports from India as well. Pichai emphasised the need of striking the correct balance between maintaining the openness and connectivity of the internet for the sake of the economy.

He said that there was a discernible uptick in the quality of the Indian startup environment and that companies like Glance were gaining international attention as a result.