Nehru Ka Tempo High Hai!: Veteran Silicon Valley Operator and ex-Google/Coinbase exec Suroijit Chatterjee donates $15,000 for Nehru Hall Modernization Efforts
Surojit Chatterjee is a graduate of IIT Kharagpur (B. Tech/CSE/1997/NH), earned an MBA from the Sloan School of Management in 2006, and an MS in Computer Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Surojit is currently the CEO & Founder of a new stealth startup. He credits the enormous influence of IITKGP in his journey as an entrepreneur. Surojit says that “IITKGP pretty much shaped who I am today. The rigorous academic curriculum and the focus on fostering critical and creative thinking equipped me with a solid technical foundation. That foundation helped me through my journey at institutions like MIT and companies like Google and Coinbase. More than just the classroom learning, I made a life-long bond with my classmates and hallmates who were always there whenever I needed them.”
A seasoned Silicon Valley operator, Surojit has successfully built and scaled multiple industry-leading products within two decades of his career. After spending 14 years at Google, Surojit joined Coinbase in early 2020 as their Chief Product Officer and played a critical role in making the cryptoeconomy accessible to millions through Coinbase’s suite of products. He was responsible for Product Management, Design, User Research and Strategic Programs at Coinbase and ultimately helped take the company public in 2021. Prior to joining Coinbase, Surojit held a variety of roles including Vice President and Head of Product for Google Shopping. Surojit was also a founder of Google's Mobile Search Ads product, where he guided Google in its transition from desktop to mobile advertising, a move that now generates the majority of Google's Ad revenue. Before that he worked as Senior VP and Head of Product & Design at Flipkart (India), a popular Indian e-commerce site.
Surojit’s meteoric professional success as a computer scientist, C-suite executive, and entrepreneur has been amazing. However, he has spoken about some personal reasons he took a break in Fall 2022. “It has been a tough year (2022) for me personally—my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and my mother passed away unexpectedly,” said Surojit, adding, “If I’m honest with myself, I don’t think I’ve allowed myself time to grieve either yet.”
Surojit recently donated $15,000 to renovate the Nehru Hall (CTM) Dorm Rooms. Prior to this, Surojit and his wife donated $130,000 to establish the Surojit & Sanchayita Chatterjee Endowed Chair at IITKGP. He urges all KGPians to consider supporting IITKGP whether it is for modernization of dorms, professorships or scholarships. He says that “living in the halls is an integral part of the IIT Kharagpur experience. Modernizing the halls will help IIT Kharagpur become a more attractive destination for top JEE rankers and will influence the reputation of the institute positively. As alumni of the institute the reputation of the institute directly impacts our careers as well. Giving back to the institute is the least we can do. Let us all contribute however we can to make IIT Kharagpur the best IIT and one of the best universities in the world.”
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The IITKGP Foundation