Indian American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author Sriram Krishnan has been named Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence by US President-elect Donald Trump. Krishnan will play a key role in shaping AI policies across multiple government sectors. Here’s what we know about him
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Sriram Krishnan will play a big role in developing AI policies across various government sectors. Image courtesy: X/@sriramk
Donald Trump has added another Indian-origin person to his team.
This time, Indian American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author Sriram Krishnan has been appointed as the Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence.
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The Chennai-born will play a big role in developing AI policies across various government sectors. He will work closely withDavid O Sacks, recently named the “White House AI & Crypto Czar.”
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Who is Sriram Krishnan?
Born in Chennai into a middle-income Tamil family, Krishnan’s journey into the world of technology began in the late 1990s.
The technologist recalls receiving a computer, a rare luxury at the time, as a transformative moment in his life. “It cost about 60,000-70,000 rupees [$730-840; £638-744], a large part of my father’s paycheck,” he told Youtuber Marika Mogilko in a 2021 interview.
“I told him I would use it for my studies.”
However, without internet access due to the high cost of a dial-up connection, Krishnan relied on coding books to teach himself programming basics, practising diligently every night.
This drive led him to pursue a degree in Information Technology at SRM Engineering College, Anna University. It was there that he met his future wife, Aarthi Ramamurthy, online in 2002, BBC said in a report. Both were studying at Anna University and had set their sights on becoming software engineers.
“A mutual friend wanted to start a coding project, so he decided to get the two nerdiest people he knew - me and Aarthi - on board,” Krishnan told Mogilko. Although the project fizzled out, their relationship survived. The couple exchanged texts on Yahoo Messenger for a year before meeting in person.
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Their career breakthrough came in 2005 when one of Krishnan’s blog posts on Microsoft caught the attention of an executive at the company. Both Krishnan and Ramamurthy were later hired. He made huge contributions to the development of Windows Azure, focusing on its APIs and services.
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In 2007, he moved to the United States, with Ramamurthy joining him six months later. After their tenure at Microsoft, the couple went on to work at other major tech firms. In 2017, they became American citizens, an achievement he has equated to their wedding day and the birth of their first daughter, according to BBC.
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Over the years, Sriram Krishnan has held several key positions in major tech firms.
In 2013, he joined Facebook, where he played a role in scaling its mobile app download ads business. He then moved to Snap, contributing to various product initiatives, before joining Twitter (now X). At Twitter, he worked until 2019 and later teamed up with Elon Musk to restructure the platform following the Tesla CEO’s acquisition in 2022.
In 2021, Krishnan became a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), focusing on emerging technologies. By 2023, he was leading the firm’s first international office in London.
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Beyond his corporate roles, Krishnan is an investor and advisor to Indian fintech firm Cred. Along with his wife, Ramamurthy, he co-hosts The Aarthi and Sriram Show, a podcast featuring high-profile guests like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. The show has achieved millions of downloads, earning the couple the title of a “tech power duo.” They currently reside in London.
Krishnan is also a strong advocate for artificial intelligence. In an opinion piece for The New York Times, he proposed solutions to harmonise the interests of AI companies and internet platforms, advocating for technology-driven collaboration over legal conflicts.
Close ties with Elon Musk
According to several reports, Krishnan shares a close professional relationship withElon Musk. This bond became strong in 2022 when Krishnan worked closely with Musk during the latter’s acquisition of Twitter (now X).
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An admirer of Musk, Krishnan has previously described the billionaire as an “inspirational person and an iconic founder.” He has openly supported Musk’s vision for X and criticised practices like de-platforming on the platform.
When Musk took over Twitter, he dismissed several top executives, including former CEO Parag Agrawal. Among those he brought in to form a new team was Krishnan, who had previously worked at Twitter. Musk invited him to rejoin the company to play a role in the restructuring process.
Krishnan thanks Trump
Donald Trump announced Sriram Krishnan’s appointment as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, stating, “Sriram Krishnan will serve as the Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.”
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In response to the announcement, Krishnan said, “I’m honoured to be able to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI working closely with David Sacks.”
— Sriram Krishnan (@sriramk) December 22, 2024🇺🇸 I'm honored to be able to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI working closely with @DavidSacks.
Thank you @realDonaldTrump for this opportunity. pic.twitter.com/kw1n0IKK2a
The Indian-American community also welcomed the appointment warmly. Sanjeev Joshipura, executive director of Indiaspora, said, “We heartily congratulate Sriram Krishnan and are delighted that he has been appointed by President-elect Donald Trump as Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy."
With inputs from agencies
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Donald TrumpElon MuskUnited States of America
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