‘Chennai boy’ becomes India’s youngest billionaire. Know Aravind Srinivas' net worth, career and more
Aravind Srinivas leads Perplexity, an artificial intelligence-powered search engine, which he describes as “the fastest way to get answers to any questions”.
Aravind Srinivas, the 31-year-old “Chennai boy” who is the co-founder and CEO of Perplexity AI, has made history by becoming India’s youngest billionaire, debuting on the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 with a net worth of ₹21,190 crore.

Born and raised in Chennai, Srinivas’ rise reflects India’s growing influence in the global deep-tech landscape. His company, Perplexity AI, a conversational search engine positioned as a challenger to Google Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has experienced rapid growth in recent years.
“The M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 chronicles India’s shift from a services-centric past to a deep-tech, product-led powerhouse. The debut of Aravind Srinivas, 31, founder of Perplexity, as the youngest billionaire, underscores this transformation — his wealth stems from building a foundational AI model competing globally,” the Hurun report noted.
Srinivas’ entry into the billionaire ranks puts him alongside other young Indian entrepreneurs redefining business. Zepto founders Kaivalya Vohra (22; ₹4,480 crore) and Aadit Palicha (23; ₹5,380 crore), Ritesh Agarwal of Prism (OYO) (31; ₹14,400 crore), Rohan Gupta of SG Finserve (26; ₹1,140 crore), Shashvat Nakrani of BharatPe (27; ₹1,340 crore), and Trishneet Arora of TAC Security (30; ₹1,820 crore) also feature on this year’s list.
(Also Read: ‘Spoke to Nikhil and Nithin’: Indian-American Perplexity CEO hints at Zerodha collaboration)
Who is Aravind Srinivas?
Aravind Srinivas is an Indian-origin engineer and entrepreneur who is the CEO and co-founder of Perplexity, an artificial intelligence-powered search engine, which he describes as “the fastest way to get answers to any questions”.
The 31-year-old studied at IIT Madras, where he earned dual degrees in Electrical Engineering, and later completed his PhD in Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Before starting his own company, he worked at some of the world’s top AI labs, including OpenAI, Google, and DeepMind, which gave him the experience to build his own venture.
In 2022, Srinivas cofounded Perplexity AI with Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski. The company has received backing from big names like Jeff Bezos and has even attracted buyout interest from Apple and Meta. But Srinivas wants to keep it independent and plans an IPO after 2028, he shared on X earlier this year.
Srinivas’ success has now made him India’s youngest billionaire, with a wealth of ₹21,190 crore, according to the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025.
ABOUT THE AUTHORBhavya SukhejaBhavya Sukheja is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 6 years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in covering stories that reflect everyday human experiences, with a focus on viral videos, social media trends, and human-interest features that inform readers while sparking meaningful conversations. She loves chasing page views and finding stories that tug at readers’ heartstrings. Known for her strong news sense, Bhavya has a keen ability to spot emerging trends and craft angles that transform viral moments into impactful narratives. Her coverage spans pop culture, entertainment, global affairs, and the internet’s most talked-about topics, helping readers better understand the context behind what is trending online. Before joining Hindustan Times, Bhavya worked with Republic World and NDTV, where she developed her skills in real-time reporting and digital storytelling. Working in fast-paced newsrooms helped her build an editorial approach that prioritises accuracy, clarity, and audience engagement. Bhavya is driven by a curiosity about how people communicate and connect in the digital age. She is particularly interested in stories that highlight cultural shifts, shared emotions, and the evolving nature of online conversations. When she is not tracking trends or producing stories, Bhavya enjoys unplugging and spending time with her cat.Read More

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