Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas: The Son Who Transformed His Mother’s IIT Aspiration into an Powerful AI Powerhouse 2025

Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas: In the fast-paced landscape of artificial intelligence, few journeys are as remarkable as that of Aravind Srinivas. In less than three years, he helped transform Perplexity AI from a simple concept into one of the most prominent names in tech.

By July 2025, Perplexity’s valuation had soared to $18 billion, fueled by a string of innovative advances and high-profile partnerships, most notably a major agreement with Bharti Airtel. With this deal, over 360 million Indians will gain complimentary access to Perplexity Pro, significantly expanding the company’s user base and reinforcing its position on the world stage. At the heart of this rise is a young founder who shaped his mother’s ambition into a global business, fundamentally changing the way we process information.

Aravind Srinivas: Inspired by a Mother’s Ambition

Born on June 7, 1994, in Chennai (formerly Madras), Tamil Nadu, Aravind Srinivas found his earliest role model not in a programming class but at home. Every time he passed the campus of IIT Madras, his mother would remind him, “You will study here someday.” Her steady encouragement became a shared vision—her pursuit of a better life and his quest for meaning.

Gifted academically, Aravind distinguished himself early. He won the National Talent Search Scholarship and picked up a merit certificate in the Indian National Mathematical Olympiad. These achievements were not mere awards—they paved the way for his entry into IIT Madras. He graduated there in 2017 with dual degrees in Electrical Engineering.

Despite a deepening interest in computer science and machine learning, Aravind could not switch to a CS major due to a slightly lower GPA. Refusing to be held back, he took the initiative to learn Python, pursued online AI classes, competed on Kaggle, and received mentorship from Professor Balaraman Ravindran, who played a crucial role in Aravind’s growth. A formative internship with AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio further shaped his academic path, guiding him toward a PhD program at UC Berkeley, focusing on AI and machine learning.

From Academic Barriers to AI Disruption: Founding Perplexity

During his doctoral studies, Aravind grew frustrated with the constraints of traditional search engines. He wondered why, even with modern technology, people still needed to comb through endless pages of links when machines could deliver precise, relevant answers. This realization led him to envision a conversational answer engine powered by large language models (LLMs), providing immediate, referenced, and context-sensitive responses.

In August 2022, Aravind—teaming up with Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski—launched Perplexity AI in San Francisco. Pooling their wide-ranging technical backgrounds, they set out to build an honest, transparent, and user-centric AI search tool.

Their strategy broke new ground. Eschewing opaque systems, they focused on building trust and offering clarity. By April 2024, Perplexity had secured $165 million in funding and surpassed the $1 billion unicorn milestone. Within another year, its value skyrocketed to $14 billion, and by July 2025, an additional $100 million investment lifted its valuation to $18 billion—making it one of the quickest-rising AI firms on record.

Bringing Advanced AI to the Masses and Changing Search

Perplexity managed to grow both technologically and at scale while staying true to its founding principles. In May 2025, Aravind’s team entered into a transformative partnership with Bharti Airtel, introducing Perplexity Pro to 360 million users through the Airtel Thanks app.

Perplexity AI Pro now delivers leading-edge AI models such as GPT-4.1, access to Claude, image generation tools, and their new AI browser, Comet, which manages complex online tasks through both text and voice. Monthly search volume surged past 780 million queries, with over 30 million active users and a striking 20% monthly growth rate. Revenue, which was $35 million in 2024, was projected to reach an annualized $150 million by mid-2025.

The company rolled out new features at a rapid pace, including enterprise solutions, models to share revenue with publishers, and dynamic tools for real-time knowledge—all surpassing the limits of classic search engines. The release of Comet, a voice-first AI browser capable of tasks like summarizing content, assisting with shopping, and drafting emails, further elevated user expectations for digital support.

Maintaining Independence Amid Tech Titans

Remaining an independent company in a sector ruled by trillion-dollar corporations is a significant challenge. Aravind Srinivas has already declined acquisition offers from industry leaders such as Apple and Meta, making clear his intention for Perplexity to chart its own path. The company is preparing for an eventual public offering—likely after 2028—and is broadening its impact across mobile, enterprise, and educational sectors worldwide.

Despite the many milestones, Aravind’s vision has stayed consistent. From hearing his mother’s wishes on Chennai buses to leading one of the world’s fastest-growing AI companies, his path reflects a powerful mix of family influence, skill, and determination.

As Perplexity continues to transform the way people find and understand information, Aravind Srinivas stands as a testament to individual belief and the lasting power of a dream first spoken by a parent, now echoed across the age of intelligent technology.

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