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Aravind Srinivas’ $34.5 Billion Bid for Chrome: Perplexity AI vs Google

  • Writer: subrata sarkar
    subrata sarkar
  • Aug 14
  • 1 min read

In a move that stunned Silicon Valley, Indian-origin entrepreneur Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI, has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion all-cash offer to acquire Google Chrome, the world’s most-used browser2. The bid, nearly double Perplexity’s own valuation, signals a seismic shift in the AI search landscape — and India’s growing influence in global tech.

Why Chrome? Why Now?

  • Regulatory Pressure: A U.S. court recently ruled that Google holds an unlawful monopoly in online search. One proposed remedy? Forcing Google to divest Chrome.

  • Search Gateway: Chrome isn’t just a browser — it’s the front door to billions of daily searches. Owning it could give Perplexity a massive edge over rivals like OpenAI and Microsoft.

  • AI Integration: Perplexity’s own browser, Comet, is still invite-only. Acquiring Chrome would instantly scale its reach to over 3 billion users.

Who Is Aravind Srinivas?

  • Born in Chennai, educated at IIT Madras and UC Berkeley, Srinivas has worked at OpenAI, Google, and DeepMind2.

  • He co-founded Perplexity in 2022, which now boasts over 22 million users and backing from SoftBank, Nvidia, and reportedly Jeff Bezos.

What’s Next?

  • Google’s Response: Alphabet has not indicated any intent to sell Chrome and plans to appeal the antitrust ruling.

  • Industry Impact: Other suitors like OpenAI, Yahoo, and Apollo Global Management have expressed interest, but Perplexity’s bid is the boldest yet.

  • India’s Tech Moment: Srinivas’ move puts Indian innovation on the global stage, echoing the rise of other Indian-origin CEOs like Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella.

 
 
 

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