On August 18, 2025, the world is talking about Aravind Srinivas, a young man from India who turned his dreams into reality. He is the CEO of Perplexity AI, a company worth billions of dollars. Aravind’s story is inspiring. He started from a small city in India and reached the top of the global tech world. His journey shows how hard work, curiosity, and a big vision can change lives. This article tells the story of Aravind Srinivas in simple words, so everyone can understand his amazing life.
Early Life in Chennai
Aravind Srinivas was born on June 7, 1994, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Chennai is a busy city with a rich culture. Aravind grew up in a simple Tamil family. His parents loved education and always supported him. As a child, Aravind was curious. He loved gadgets and often took them apart to see how they worked. He was good at math and science in school. His teachers noticed his talent early. Aravind worked hard and won many awards. He got a National Talent Search Scholarship from the Indian government. He also earned a merit certificate in the Indian National Mathematical Olympiad. These achievements made his parents proud.
Aravind’s mother had a big dream for him. She wanted him to study at IIT Madras, a top engineering school in India. Every time they passed the IIT campus, she would say, “You will study here one day.” Her words stayed with Aravind. They gave him a goal to work toward. He studied hard to make her dream come true.
Education at IIT Madras
In 2012, Aravind joined IIT Madras. He enrolled in a special program to earn both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He finished his studies in 2017. At IIT, Aravind discovered his love for computers and artificial intelligence (AI). He wanted to study computer science, but his grades were just a little too low to switch courses. This made him sad for a while. He even felt depressed. But Aravind did not give up. He taught himself Python, a computer programming language. He took online AI courses and joined competitions on Kaggle, a platform for data science. He also worked with a professor named Balaraman Ravindran. This professor helped Aravind learn more about AI. Aravind’s hard work paid off. He became skilled in deep learning and machine learning.
Aravind Srinivas Age, Wikipedia, Biography, Education, Net Worth, Nationality, Wife
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Aravind Srinivas |
| Date of Birth | June 7, 1994 |
| Place of Birth | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Family Background | Grew up in a simple Tamil family. Parents supported his education. |
| Early Education | Studied in Chennai. Excelled in math and science. Won National Talent Search Scholarship and merit certificate in Indian National Mathematical Olympiad. |
| Higher Education | - IIT Madras: Bachelor’s and Master’s in Electrical Engineering (2012–2017) |
| - University of California, Berkeley: Ph.D. in Computer Science (focused on AI, deep learning, reinforcement learning) | |
| Early Interests | Loved gadgets, curious about how things worked, self-taught Python, explored AI through online courses and Kaggle competitions. |
| Key Internships | - OpenAI (2018): Worked on intelligent AI systems with John Schulman |
| - DeepMind (2019): Focused on large-scale learning models | |
| - Google (2020–2021): Built vision transformer models for image understanding | |
| Company Founded | Perplexity AI (August 2022), co-founded with Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski |
| Perplexity AI Mission | Create an AI-powered search engine that gives clear, direct answers with sources, unlike traditional search engines |
| Company Achievements | - Valued at $520 million in 2024, $18 billion in 2025 |
| - Backed by investors like Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and SoftBank | |
| - Partnered with Bharti Airtel to provide free Perplexity Pro to 360 million Indian users | |
| Nationality | Indian- |
| - Waited three years for a U.S. green card, sparking public debate in 2024 | |
| Notable Business Move | Offered to buy Google Chrome for $34.5 billion in August 2025, gaining global attention |
| Awards and Honors | - 2015: Viterbi India Fellowship (Indo-US Science and Technology Forum) |
| - 2015: Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana scholarship (India’s Department of Science and Technology) | |
| - 2024: Named in TIME100 Most Influential People in AI by TIME magazine | |
| Research Contributions | Published papers at AI conferences like ICLR, AAAI, and NeurIPS |
| Investments | Angel investor in AI companies like ElevenLabs, Pika, and Suno |
| Net Worth | Estimated at $27 million (2025) |
| Personal Life | Keeps personal life private. Active on Instagram, sharing about Perplexity AI and tech ideas. |
| Public Speaking | Gave talks at TEDx, Harvard, and Oxford, inspiring young entrepreneurs to stay curious and innovate. |
| Future Goals | Plans to make Perplexity AI the most knowledge-focused company; aims to go public after 2028 and keep it independent |
| Inspiration | Role model for young Indians, exemplifying that hard work and curiosity can lead to global success. |
Moving to America
After IIT, Aravind wanted to learn more. He moved to the United States to study at the University of California, Berkeley. He started a Ph.D. in Computer Science. His focus was on AI, deep learning, and reinforcement learning. These are ways to make computers think and learn like humans. At Berkeley, Aravind worked on exciting projects. His research was shared at big AI conferences like ICLR, AAAI, and NeurIPS. These events are where the world’s best AI experts meet. Aravind’s work was noticed by many.
While studying, Aravind got a chance to work with top AI companies. In 2018, he joined OpenAI as an intern. OpenAI is a famous company that builds smart AI systems. Aravind worked with John Schulman, a well-known AI expert. He learned how to create intelligent computer programs. In 2019, he interned at DeepMind in London. DeepMind is another big name in AI. There, Aravind worked on large-scale learning models. In 2020 and 2021, he worked at Google. He helped build vision transformer models, which help computers understand images. These experiences gave Aravind the skills he needed to start his own company.
Starting Perplexity AI
In August 2022, Aravind co-founded Perplexity AI. He started the company with three friends: Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski. They had a big idea. They wanted to make searching for information easier. Traditional search engines like Google give long lists of links. Aravind thought this was not enough. He wanted a search engine that could answer questions directly. It should give clear, accurate answers with sources. This idea became Perplexity AI.
Perplexity AI is different from other search engines. It uses AI to understand questions. It gives answers in a conversational way, like talking to a friend. It also shows where the information comes from. This makes it trustworthy. People loved Perplexity AI. By 2024, the company was worth $520 million. In 2025, its value grew to $18 billion. Big investors like Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and SoftBank supported Perplexity. The company also partnered with Bharti Airtel in India. This deal gave 360 million Indian users free access to Perplexity Pro. Aravind’s vision was changing how people find information.
In August 2025, Aravind made global news. Perplexity AI offered to buy Google Chrome for $34.5 billion. This was a huge amount, more than twice Perplexity’s value. Aravind wrote a letter to Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, with the offer. Many thought it was a bold or even risky move. Chrome is a key part of Google’s business. It has billions of users. Some called Aravind’s offer a publicity stunt. Others saw it as a smart way to challenge big tech companies. Either way, it put Aravind and Perplexity in the spotlight.
Awards And Recognition
Aravind’s work has earned him many honors. In 2015, he got the Viterbi India Fellowship from the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum. He also won the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana scholarship from India’s Department of Science and Technology. In 2024, TIME magazine named him one of the “TIME100 Most Influential People in AI.” This award showed his impact on the world of AI. Aravind also became an angel investor. He invested in companies like ElevenLabs, Pika, and Suno, which work on AI for speech, video, and music.
Personal Life
Aravind likes to keep his personal life private. He does not share much about his family or relationships. He focuses on his work and AI research. On Instagram, he posts about Perplexity AI and his ideas about technology. He has thousands of followers who admire his work. Aravind’s net worth is estimated at $27 million. His success comes from his leadership at Perplexity AI and his investments.
Inspiring Others
Aravind Srinivas is a role model for young people in India and beyond. His story shows that dreams can come true with hard work. He faced setbacks, like missing out on a computer science degree at IIT. But he never stopped learning. He taught himself new skills and worked with the best in the world. His mother’s dream for him to study at IIT Madras came true. Then, he went further, building a company that challenges giants like Google.
Aravind often speaks at big events. He has given talks at TEDx, Harvard, and Oxford. He shares his ideas about AI and the future of search. He tells young entrepreneurs to stay curious and keep improving. He says big companies will copy good ideas, so you must stay ahead. Aravind’s words inspire many to chase their dreams.
A Bright Future
Aravind Srinivas is only 31 years old, but he has already changed the tech world. Perplexity AI is growing fast. It has new features like Comet, an AI browser that can summarize web pages and answer questions by voice. The company is planning to go public after 2028. Aravind wants Perplexity to be the most knowledge-focused company in the world. He also wants to stay independent, even when big companies like Apple and Meta show interest.
Aravind’s journey is a story of courage and vision. From a curious boy in Chennai to a global AI leader, he shows what is possible. His mother’s dream gave him a start. His hard work and ideas took him to the top. Aravind Srinivas is proof that with passion and effort, anyone can make a difference. His story will inspire many for years to come.