Meet India's youngest billionaire, thanks to AI startup Perplexity
Aravind Srinivas just made headlines as India's youngest billionaire at 31, thanks to his role as co-founder and CEO of Perplexity AI.
With a net worth of ₹21,190 crore (approximately $2.5 billion based on current exchange rates), he's become a reflection of India's growing influence in deep-tech and artificial intelligence.
Srinivas's journey from IIT to billion-dollar valuation
Born in Chennai in 1994, Srinivas was always into science. He studied engineering at IIT Madras, then earned his PhD from UC Berkeley.
After working with top AI labs like OpenAI, Google, and DeepMind, he launched Perplexity AI in August 2022 with Denis Yarats and Andy Konwinski—a company known for its chat-based search engine.
Plans for Perplexity's future and his vision for Indian startups
Perplexity has drawn big investors (even Jeff Bezos!) but Srinivas wants to keep it independent, eyeing an IPO after 2028.
He also plans to boost Indian AI startups through a dedicated fund, noting that India is already Perplexity's largest user base—he aims to support the country's tech future while honoring his roots.