The M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 has been released and in the collection of usual names, Chennai-born founder of Perplexity, Aravind Srinivas, is a surprise addition. Srinivas, who helms one of the biggest rivals to the Google Gemini and OpenAI ChatGPT, has made his debut on the list. At an age of 31, he also happens to be youngest billionaire that India has ever seen.
At just 31 years old, Srinivas made his billionaire debut with a wealth valuation of Rs 21,190 crore in the prestigious M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025, highlighting his rapid ascent in the technology sector. Srinivas’ debut on the list also showcases how Indian talent is playing a crucial role in the emerging field of artificial intelligence.
Perplexity AI’s Aravind Srinivas is on M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025
Srinivas’s fortune comes from building a foundational artificial intelligence model through Perplexity, which is competing on a global scale in the AI domain where big players like OpenAI, Google, Meta and Microsoft are facing cut-throat competition. His ascent to the list as the youngest billionaire highlights India’s wealth creation via the latest trends in the technology sector.
Under Srinivas, Perplexity has been identified as one of the fastest growing AI companies to exist. The company has inked a deal with Bharti Airtel, offering a free access to its Pro subscription for all Airtel subscribers. This deal allowed millions of Indians to try out the premium features of Perplexity instead of relying solely on OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot.
Perplexity also released its Comet AI browser for all Pro subscribers, thus ensuring a deeper penetration of the AI chatbot.
Aravind Srinivas: A glance at his profile
Srinivas’s journey began in Chennai, where his mother’s aspiration for him to attend IIT Madras fueled his academic path. He earned dual degrees in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras and later a PhD in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley, specialising in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Before founding Perplexity AI in 2022, he held research positions at leading AI firms including OpenAI, Google, and DeepMind, gaining critical experience.
Perplexity AI, which was founded with Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski, is an AI-powered conversational search engine aiming to rival Google by delivering direct, cited answers rather than just links. The company has reached a valuation of $18 billion by mid-2025 and boasting over 30 million active users worldwide. Srinivas is committed to maintaining Perplexity’s independence despite acquisition interests from giants like Apple and Meta, with plans for an IPO post-2028.
