An American executive recently expressed gratitude to Aravind Srinivas, the Indian-origin CEO of Perplexity AI, acknowledging that his employment is due to Mr Srinivas’s contributions. Dmitry Shevelenko, Chief Business Officer at Perplexity AI, credited Srinivas for creating over 100 job opportunities in the US, including his own, despite working on a visa. The heartfelt post comes amid a heated debate on immigration in the US, highlighting the positive impact of immigrant entrepreneurs on the American economy and job market.

“I’m an American who is gainfully employed because an Indian immigrant on a visa founded a company in the US. Thx @AravSrinivas for creating 100+ American jobs,” Mr Shevelenko wrote on X.

See the post here:
 

I’m an American who is gainfully employed because an Indian immigrant on a visa founded a company in the US. Thx @AravSrinivas for creating 100+ American jobs.

— Dmitry Shevelenko (@dmitry140) December 25, 2024

Notably, Aravind Srinivas, an alumnus of IIT Madras and UC Berkeley, co-founded Perplexity AI in 2022. The company has gained recognition for its AI-driven search engine, attracting investments from notable figures, including Jeff Bezos. Despite his achievements, Srinivas has faced challenges in obtaining a US green card, highlighting systemic issues in the immigration process. Prominent individuals like Elon Musk have also advocated for reforms to facilitate the entry and retention of highly skilled professionals in the US.

His post sparked a mixed reaction on social media. While some users appreciated his acknowledgement of the contributions made by Mr Srinivas, others criticised Shevelenko. Some questioned why Mr Srinivas didn’t establish his company in India instead of the US. Many users defended Mr Shevelenko’s sentiments, arguing that talented individuals should be allowed to grow and contribute to any country, regardless of their origin.

One user wrote, “Let builders build in America. Where you are born doesn’t matter, where you choose to build does. We need to keep attracting the top talent to continue to grow our economy.”

Another commented, “And guess what, he’s STILL ON A VISA, while fresh grads who came after him have green cards. Thanks to ANTI AMERICAN DEI country QUOTAS.”

A third said, “It will be safe to assume that America lost 100s of founders like Aravind if not 1000s in the last 25 years due to the existing skewed policy.” A fourth added, “I wish he had this opportunity in India so that any Indian could have posted this lovely message.”