Who Is Aravind Srinivas? The Indian Behind a $34.5 Billion Bid for Google Chrome

Aravind Srinivas is putting India on the global AI map. With Perplexity AI , he’s challenging how we search for information and even taking on Google’s Chrome. His journey from Chennai to Silicon Valley is a reminder that passion and persistence can change the world. Keep an eye on Aravind and Perplexity—they’re just getting started!

Who Is Aravind Srinivas?

Aravind Srinivas is a 31-year-old computer scientist and entrepreneur from Chennai, India. He’s the CEO and co-founder of Perplexity AI, a company that’s only three years old but already valued at $14 billion (₹1.21 lakh crore). Born on June 7, 1994, in a Tamil family, Aravind grew up dreaming big. His role model was Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, who also hails from Chennai. Now, Aravind is competing with his idol.

His Education Journey

Aravind’s story starts in Chennai, where he studied hard to get into the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. He earned dual degrees (B.Tech and M.Tech) in electrical engineering in 2017. He was disappointed when he missed a spot in computer science by just 0.01 CGPA, but that didn’t stop him. He taught himself Python and competed in online coding challenges. Later, he moved to the U.S. to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, finishing in 2021.

Work Before Perplexity

Before starting his own company, Aravind worked at some of the biggest names in tech:

• OpenAI: He was a research intern in 2018 and later a research scientist, working on cutting-edge AI projects.
• Google: From 2020 to 2021, he worked on machine learning for computer vision at Google’s headquarters in California.
• DeepMind: In 2019, he interned at Google’s DeepMind in London, focusing on AI research. He also worked with famous computer scientist Yoshua Bengio in Canada, which helped him gain deep AI knowledge.

What Is Perplexity AI?

In 2022, Aravind teamed up with Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski to start Perplexity AI in San Francisco. Unlike Google, which shows links when you search, Perplexity AI is an “answer engine.” It uses AI to give direct, easy-to-understand answers with sources you can check. For example, if you ask, “Why is the sky blue?” it explains clearly instead of just listing websites.

Perplexity has grown fast:

• It’s backed by big investors like Nvidia, Jeff Bezos (Amazon’s founder), and SoftBank.
• It’s valued at $14 billion, up from $1 billion in April 2024.
• It has over 30 million active users and handles 780 million searches monthly.
• It recently launched Comet, an AI-powered browser to compete with Chrome.

The Big Chrome Bid

In August 2025, Perplexity AI shocked everyone by offering $34.5 billion to buy Google Chrome, the world’s most popular browser, launched in 2008. Chrome is a key part of Google’s success, helping it collect user data for ads and connecting users to services like Gmail and YouTube. Aravind’s bold move shows his confidence in Perplexity’s future and its mission to change how we search online.

Why Is Perplexity Special?

Perplexity AI stands out because:

• It gives clear, conversational answers, not just links.
• It uses advanced AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4, Meta’s Llama, and Anthropic’s Claude.
• It cites sources, making answers trustworthy.
• It recently partnered with Bharti Airtel to offer free Perplexity Pro memberships to 360 million users in India, boosting its reach.

The company also announced plans to build an “AI phone” with Deutsche Telekom, a German company, that works with voice commands to do tasks like booking flights. Aravind says Perplexity is moving from just answering questions to taking action for users.

Challenges and Achievements

Perplexity has faced some criticism. Some news organizations accused it of using their content without credit, but Aravind launched a Publishers Program to share revenue with them. Despite challenges, his work has earned him a spot on TIME’s 2024 list of the “100 Most Influential People in AI.” He also made headlines for standing up to Elon Musk, who tried to block Perplexity’s funding from USAID.

Aravind’s journey isn’t without struggles. He’s been waiting for a U.S. green card for nearly three years, which sparked a debate when Elon Musk supported his application on X.

Personal Life

Aravind keeps his personal life private, so there’s no information about whether he’s married or dating. He’s active on social media, sharing updates about Perplexity on X and Instagram. Fun fact: Growing up in a vegetarian family, he credits Sundar Pichai for inspiring him to try eggs after moving to the U.S.

Why This Matters

Aravind Srinivas’s story is inspiring. From a small disappointment at IIT Madras to building a $14 billion company, he shows what hard work and vision can achieve. His bold bid for Chrome and competition with giants like Google and OpenAI prove he’s not afraid to dream big. Recently, he met Sundar Pichai at the AI Action Summit in Paris, a proud moment for the Chennai-born innovator.