Meet Aravind Srinivas: India’s Youngest Billionaire and the Mind Behind Perplexity AI
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Aravind Srinivas, co-founder and CEO of Perplexity AI, has emerged as India’s youngest billionaire, according to the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025. At just 31 years old, his net worth is estimated at Rs 21,190 crore. His rise to billionaire status has been driven by the rapid growth and global success of Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence-powered search platform that is changing how people find information online.
Perplexity AI has gained strong momentum in recent years and reportedly has around 22 million active users worldwide in 2025. The platform’s popularity with users, along with growing investor confidence, has played a major role in Srinivas’s financial success and recognition on the Hurun Rich List.
A new generation of young Indian billionaires
Aravind Srinivas is part of a new wave of young Indian entrepreneurs making their mark globally. He appears on the Hurun Rich List alongside other young founders such as Zepto’s Kaivalya Vohra, aged 22, and Aadit Palicha, aged 23. Their inclusion reflects the growing strength of India’s startup ecosystem, especially in technology-driven sectors.
The Hurun Rich List 2025 reveals that India now has 358 billionaires and 1,687 individuals with wealth exceeding Rs 1,000 crore. The report also notes that Indian billionaires added an average of Rs 1,991 crore to their wealth every day over the past two years. In fact, the country has been creating roughly one new billionaire every week. Sectors like technology, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and industrial products continue to lead this wealth creation.
Early life and education
Aravind Srinivas was born in Chennai and showed an early interest in science and technology. He pursued his higher education at IIT Madras, where he completed both his undergraduate and master’s degrees. Known for its strong focus on engineering and research, IIT Madras helped shape Srinivas’s technical foundation and problem-solving skills.
After graduating from IIT Madras, Srinivas moved to the United States to further his studies. He earned a PhD in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley, one of the world’s leading institutions for technology and artificial intelligence research. His academic work focused on machine learning and AI, fields that would later define his career.
Experience with global tech leaders
Before starting his own company, Srinivas built an impressive career working with some of the biggest names in artificial intelligence. In 2018, he joined OpenAI as a research intern, where he worked on advanced AI models and research projects. He later gained experience at DeepMind and Google, two organizations at the forefront of AI innovation.
In September 2021, Srinivas returned to OpenAI, this time as a Research Scientist. During this period, he deepened his understanding of large-scale AI systems and real-world applications. However, after about a year, he decided to step away from his role and focus on building his own product.
The rise of Perplexity AI
That decision led to the creation of Perplexity AI. Srinivas co-founded the company with the goal of rethinking how search engines work. Unlike traditional search platforms that provide long lists of links, Perplexity AI focuses on giving direct, clear, and context-based answers to user questions.
The platform uses advanced machine learning models combined with curated web data to deliver personalized responses. This approach quickly attracted users who wanted faster and more reliable answers. As Perplexity grew, it began drawing comparisons with major search players, including Google.
From startup founder to billionaire
The rapid adoption of Perplexity AI significantly increased the company’s valuation, which directly contributed to Srinivas’s billionaire status. Investors saw strong potential in the platform’s ability to reshape online search, while users appreciated its simple and effective design.
Today, Perplexity AI is not only a successful business but also a symbol of India’s growing influence in the global AI space. Aravind Srinivas’s journey from a student in Chennai to India’s youngest billionaire highlights the power of education, innovation, and taking bold risks at the right time.
At just 31, Srinivas’s story is still unfolding, but his impact on technology and entrepreneurship is already hard to ignore.
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