Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently counted among the fastest growing technologies on the planet, and a striking share of the people steering it trace their roots to India. What stands out is that across the very companies the global tech industry leans on, many of the biggest AI decisions sit in the hands of people of Indian origin. At Google, Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Amazon, these professionals are effectively deciding how smart machines will become in the years ahead.
A growing Indian footprint in AI
Over the past few years it has become clear that, from Silicon Valley to enterprise software, the teams building the future of AI are in many places led by Indians. Here is a look at six such names whose stepping back alone could bring the AI divisions of several major companies to a standstill.
Arvind Srinivas, Perplexity AI
Arvind Srinivas, co-founder and CEO of Perplexity AI, studied electrical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. He then went on to earn a PhD in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. His company has carved out a distinct identity today as an AI-driven search and information platform.
Arvind Krishna, IBM
IBM's CEO Arvind Krishna is also of Indian origin, and in 2021 he additionally took on the role of the company's chairman. Under his leadership IBM has made enterprise AI a central focus. The company's ‘watsonx’ platform helps businesses adopt secure, trustworthy and scalable AI solutions, accelerating digital transformation across a range of industries. Krishna studied engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and later completed a PhD in electrical engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Sundar Pichai, Google and Alphabet
India-born Sundar Pichai is the CEO of both Google, one of the world's most talked-about tech companies, and its parent company Alphabet. On the strength of his technical understanding and leadership, he has taken the company to new heights. During his tenure, AI was woven into the company's overall strategy and several major AI projects moved forward. He played a key role in strengthening the capabilities of Google DeepMind and worked towards developing and launching advanced AI models such as Gemini.
Rohit Prasad, Amazon
Rohit Prasad, a well-known AI expert of Indian origin, did his engineering at BIT Mesra in Jharkhand. As Senior Vice President and Head Scientist (AGI) at Amazon, he has contributed significantly to advancing the company's AI strategy. Under his watch, Amazon has placed special emphasis on developing high-end generative AI technologies and large language models (LLMs). His role is considered crucial in strengthening foundation models like Titan and several other AI initiatives.
Amar Subramanya, Apple
Amar Subramanya, also of Indian origin, has held major responsibilities at giants such as Google, Microsoft and now Apple. As Vice President (AI) at Apple, he is giving fresh direction to the company's AI strategy. His remit includes Apple's foundation models, machine learning research and projects tied to AI safety. Alongside this, he is leading efforts to make Siri and other AI-based features smarter, more useful and more modern.
Vishal Shah, Meta
Vishal Shah serves as Vice President, AI Products at Meta and plays a large role in carrying the company's artificial intelligence strategy forward. Under his leadership, Meta continues to build a variety of AI products and technologies.
