Perplexity founder Aravind Srinivas Pledges $1 Million to Revolutionize AI in India

n a landmark move for advancing artificial intelligence (AI) in India, Indian-origin CEO of Perplexity AI, Aravind Srinivas, has pledged a groundbreaking $1 million investment and five hours of his time per week to a highly qualified team willing to develop advanced AI training models in India.

At just 31 years old, Srinivas has positioned himself as a key player in advocating for India's potential to lead globally in AI innovation.

His passionate pitch, shared via posts on X (formerly Twitter), calls for a significant shift in India's AI strategy—from solely reusing open-source AI models to creating globally competitive ones.

A Vision for India's AI Future

Srinivas’ proposal is clear: he’s not just offering financial support but also his expertise to help India excel in AI.

The stipulation is straightforward—the team must be as dedicated and innovative as the renowned Chinese AI firm DeepSeek, which has set benchmarks for excellence in the AI industry.

He emphasized his commitment, stating:

“I am ready to invest a $1mm personally and 5 hours/week of my time into the most qualified group of people that can do this right now for making India great again in the context of AI. Consider this as a commitment that cannot be backtracked.”

Further sweetening the deal, Srinivas has promised an additional $10 million investment if the team surpasses the recent accomplishments of DeepSeek on all benchmarks.

The only condition? The team must operate transparently by open-sourcing their models under the MIT license.

Why Training AI Models Matters

Aravind Srinivas believes India’s AI focus needs a paradigm shift. Currently, the trend among Indian startups leans heavily on reusing existing open-source models for applications.

However, Srinivas argues this limits India’s potential to compete on a global scale. In a detailed post, he called for the development of robust AI models, not just for Indic languages but ones that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global benchmarks.

“I hope India changes its stance from wanting to reuse models from open-source and instead trying to build muscle to train their models that are not just good for Indic languages but are globally competitive on all benchmarks,” he wrote.

This statement is a clarion call for India to invest in AI development with the same fervor that propelled ISRO’s successes in space exploration—a journey that has even earned accolades from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

Criticism of the Status Quo

Srinivas did not shy away from criticizing the current approach of Indian industry leaders like Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani.

Nilekani has advised Indian startups to prioritize practical AI applications instead of working on developing large language models (LLMs).

Srinivas, however, sees this as a missed opportunity, highlighting that relying on application-based innovation alone won’t place India among the global AI leaders.

“I feel like India fell into the same trap I did while running Perplexity. Thinking models are going to cost a ton of money to train,” he shared, encouraging India to take calculated risks to achieve AI breakthroughs.

Learning from ISRO’s Success

Srinivas likens the potential of India's AI future to the success story of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). By prioritizing innovation and efficiency, ISRO has emerged as a major space player, earning global recognition.

Similarly, Srinivas believes India can leverage its vast talent pool to emerge as a leader in AI development, setting global benchmarks and becoming a hub for AI innovation.

A Call to Action for Indian Innovators

Aravind Srinivas’ bold commitment signals an opportunity for India to take a giant leap in the AI domain.

This is not just a call for financial investment but an invitation to join a movement that prioritizes innovation, collaboration, and global competitiveness.

By building high-quality AI models and fostering transparency through open-source principles, India can position itself as a formidable player in the global AI landscape.

The next step lies in finding that "cracked and obsessed" team that shares Srinivas’ vision of making India great again for AI. Are you ready to rise to the challenge? If so, the future of AI in India might just be yours to shape.

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