Biography of Aravind Srinivas: Founder and CEO of Perplexity AI -Entrepreneur
Story of Aravind Srinivas:
Aravind Srinivas grew up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, inspired by
his mother’s wish for him to study at IIT Madras. Though he faced some academic
challenges at first, he never gave up on his passion for technology. His
determination and curiosity pushed him to explore the world of computer
science, even though he began with a degree in electrical engineering.
Early Academic Journey
In 2017, Aravind completed a dual degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT
Madras. During his time there, he taught himself Python and began experimenting
with machine learning. He actively participated in Kaggle competitions, which
allowed him to test his skills against some of the best minds in the world.
These experiences laid the foundation for his deep interest in artificial
intelligence.
Learning from the Best
Aravind’s journey took a huge turn when he got the opportunity to intern with
Yoshua Bengio, one of the pioneers of deep learning. This experience exposed
him to the latest research in AI and gave him a clear sense of direction. His
growing expertise and dedication eventually earned him a place at the
University of California, Berkeley, where he pursued a PhD in Computer Science.
PhD at UC Berkeley
At Berkeley, Aravind’s research covered a wide range of areas in AI, including
reinforcement learning, contrastive learning, transformers for image and video
generation, and decision transformers. He also contributed to teaching courses
on deep unsupervised learning, sharing his knowledge with the next generation
of AI enthusiasts. His years at Berkeley sharpened his skills and prepared him
for the challenges ahead.
Biography of Aravind Srinivas: Founder and CEO of Perplexity AI -Entrepreneur #startup#Google#chatgpt#Perplexity# Indian founder of Perplexity#Aravind
Step into the World of Research
After completing his doctoral studies, Aravind joined OpenAI in 2021 as a
research scientist. There, he focused on language models and generative models.
This role gave him valuable exposure to cutting-edge AI work, but he had bigger
ambitions in mind. He wanted to build something that ordinary people could use
daily—an AI-powered tool that made knowledge more accessible and transparent.
The Birth of Perplexity AI
In 2022, Aravind teamed up with Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski to
launch Perplexity AI. Their vision was simple yet powerful: create a search
engine that didn’t just throw links at users but answered questions in a clear,
conversational way with reliable citations. Perplexity aimed to combine the
best of AI chatbots with the reliability of search engines.
Competing with Giants
Unlike Google, which returns lists of links, or ChatGPT, which focuses on
generating answers, Perplexity found its niche by doing both providing
conversational answers with citations. This unique approach quickly caught the
attention of users looking for trustworthy, direct responses. In just a few
years, Perplexity became a serious rival to Google Search and OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
A Big Breakthrough with Airtel
One of the biggest milestones for Perplexity came in May 2025, when it
partnered with Bharti Airtel. Through this deal, 360 million Airtel users in
India received free access to Perplexity Pro for a year. This move not only
expanded Perplexity’s user base but also strengthened its presence in one of
the largest digital markets in the world.
From Startup to Giant
By July 2025, Perplexity AI had grown into a company valued at $18 billion.
With over 30 million active users and 780 million monthly queries, it
established itself as one of the fastest-growing companies in the AI space.
Aravind’s vision of creating a global, transparent AI-powered search engine had
become a reality.
Innovation with Comet
Never one to stop innovating, Aravind and his team launched Comet, an
AI-powered browser designed for voice-first web interaction. The browser also
emphasized partnerships with publishers through revenue-sharing models, while
targeting enterprise solutions. This showed that Perplexity was not just a
search engine but a growing ecosystem of AI-driven tools.
Aravind as an Investor
Alongside running Perplexity, Aravind became an angel investor, supporting
startups across the AI landscape. His investments included companies like
Cursor (AI-first code editor), Eleven Labs (AI voices), Pika Labs (AI video
generation), and Suno (AI music). By backing these ventures, he continued to
shape the future of AI innovation beyond his own company.
Advice for the Young Generation
Aravind often shares advice for young people who aspire to succeed in the
future job market. He urges them to spend less time scrolling on Instagram and
more time learning AI tools. According to him, people who master AI systems
will always be more employable than those who don’t.
The Speed of Change
He also warns that AI is evolving faster than ever, with major shifts happening
every three to six months. For him, this rapid pace is both exciting and
challenging, testing humanity’s ability to adapt. Those who fail to keep up, he
believes, may struggle to find opportunities in the future.
A Message of Hope
Even though AI might replace certain jobs, Aravind remains optimistic. He
believes displaced workers will find new roles either as entrepreneurs building
AI-powered businesses or as employees in companies that harness AI. His own
journey from Chennai to leading a global AI company shows that with passion,
persistence, and adaptability, anyone can thrive in the AI-driven world.
