Andy Rubin hands over Android to Sundar Pichai

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Andy Rubin, co-founder and head of Google Inc's Android division, is stepping down from his post to take on new projects at Google. He is being replaced by Sundar Pichai who is also the head of Google's Chrome and Apps.

''Having exceeded even the crazy ambitious goals we dreamed of for Android - and with a really strong leadership team in place - Andy's decided it's time to hand over the reins and start a new chapter at Google,'' says Google CEO Larry Page in a blog-post.

Pichai joined Google in 2004. He led the product management and innovation efforts for a suite of Google's client software products, including Google Chrome and Chrome OS. In addition, he was largely responsible for Google Drive. He oversaw the development of different apps like Gmail and Google Maps. He has also been a Director of Jive Software, since April 2011.

''Sundar Pichai will lead Android, in addition to his existing work with Chrome and Apps. Sundar has a talent for creating products that are technically excellent yet easy to use-and he loves a big bet. Take Chrome, for example. In 2008, people asked whether the world really needed another browser. Today Chrome has hundreds of millions of happy users and is growing fast thanks to its speed, simplicity and security. So while Andy's a really hard act to follow, I know Sundar will do a tremendous job doubling down on Android as we work to push the ecosystem forward,'' adds Larry Page.

However, it hasn't been mentioned in the blog, as to what Andy Rubin's new responsibilities will be. Andy Rubin too joined Google in 2004, where he oversaw the development of Android. Rubin has four patents for his inventions, and is believed to have a net worth of $100 million dollars.

(With inputs from Wikipedia)