Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas, who owns Rs 1.5 lakh crore empire, reveals why his mother wanted him to study at this IIT: 'Every time we passed the...'

Aravind Srinivas, co-founder of Perplexity, recently appeared on the WTF Online podcast with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath. He shared personal stories about his early influences, time in Bengaluru, and path into artificial intelligence. Srinivas recalled how his mother strongly believed he would study at IIT Madras. “Every time we passed the IIT Madras campus, she would say, ‘This is where you’re going to study.’ It wasn’t a suggestion—it was an expectation,” he said.

Talking about his time in Bengaluru, Srinivas admitted he didn’t explore the city much during a three-week internship. Instead, he stayed indoors and worked. “I was in Koramangala but didn’t really go out. The traffic was bad even then, and I hear it’s worse now,” he said, adding that working indoors was probably the smarter choice.

His interest in AI began with a Kaggle competition, which introduced him to machine learning. “That was my entry into AI. It wasn’t just about winning—it was about understanding how machines learn from data,” he explained.

Srinivas also spoke about his strong work ethic, saying he pushes himself not for a big goal but because he enjoys the process. “I love what I do,” he said.

During the podcast, he reflected on a challenging discussion with AI researcher Lex Fridman. Fridman questioned him on neural networks, AI fundamentals, and Google’s AI strategy, testing his knowledge and perspective on the field.