Chennai Entrepreneur Aravind Srinivas India's youngest billionaire at 31
Chennai-born entrepreneur Aravind Srinivas has become India's youngest billionaire at age 31, according to the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 released this week. With a net worth of ₹21,190 crore, Srinivas co-founded and leads Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence-powered search engine that competes directly with Google and OpenAI's ChatGPT.
The achievement marks a milestone for India's deep-tech sector, with Srinivas's wealth stemming from building a foundational AI model that competes globally rather than inherited assets or traditional industries. His company, valued at $20 billion following a $200 million funding round in September 2025, has attracted backing from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and SoftBank.
Perplexity AI, launched in August 2022, has experienced explosive growth, processing over 100 million queries weekly and achieving approximately $200 million in annual recurring revenue. The platform distinguishes itself by providing conversational, real-time responses with citations, positioning it as "the fastest way to get answers to any question".
Born on June 7, 1994, Srinivas earned dual degrees in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras before completing his PhD in Computer Science at UC Berkeley. His career included stints at leading AI labs including OpenAI, where he contributed to DALL-E 2, Google, and DeepMind, providing the foundation for his entrepreneurial venture.
India has emerged as Perplexity's largest user base globally, prompting Srinivas to explore establishing an engineering team in Bengaluru or Hyderabad and consider launching a dedicated investment fund for Indian AI startups. The company's partnership with Bharti Airtel offers free access to Perplexity Pro subscription for Indian subscribers, significantly expanding its reach.
Young Entrepreneurial Wave
Srinivas joins a cohort of young Indian billionaires reshaping business landscapes. The 2025 Hurun list features Zepto co-founders Kaivalya Vohra (22; ₹4,480 crore) and Aadit Palicha (23; ₹5,380 crore), OYO's Ritesh Agarwal (31; ₹14,400 crore), and BharatPe's Shashvat Nakrani (27; ₹1,340 crore). This represents what Hurun researchers call "India's shift from a services-centric past to a deep-tech, product-led powerhouse".