Who is Siddhartha Saxena, an IIT Kanpur alumnus earning Rs 77 crore in a day building an AI startup

One extraordinary day changed the financial trajectory of IIT Kanpur graduate Siddhartha Saxena. The AI entrepreneur recently revealed that he made nearly 8 million US dollars (around Rs 77 crore) in a single day, a milestone that propelled him into the ranks of young millionaire founders and highlighted the staggering wealth that successful artificial intelligence startups can generate.

Speaking in a conversation with content creator Viraj Ala, Saxena looked back on his journey from an engineering student to the co-founder of Merlin, an AI-powered productivity platform. While discussing his career, he described the day his company's value translated into a personal windfall as one of the defining moments of his life.

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When asked about the biggest financial milestone of his career, Saxena responded, "I'll tell you something even better. I made USD 8 million in a single day." Asked whether that effectively made him a millionaire overnight, he replied, "Yes, something like that."

Who is Siddhartha Saxena?

Before entering the startup world, Saxena built his career across research and industry, working in machine learning and artificial intelligence roles at Envestnet, Yodlee, Wadhwani AI, Finland's Aalto University and Jumio Corporation. Those experiences, he suggested, laid the technical foundation that later helped him build products in the rapidly evolving generative AI space.

A 2019 Computer Science graduate from IIT Kanpur, Saxena also reflected on the intense competition required to enter the institute's flagship programme. He described the Computer Science course as one of India's most selective engineering programmes, arguing that securing admission is "20 times harder" than getting into Harvard University.

Three years after graduating, Saxena joined hands with fellow IIT Kanpur alumni Pratyush Rai and Sirsendu Sarkar to launch Merlin, a Chrome extension that integrates generative AI tools to improve productivity. The startup has since expanded rapidly and is reportedly valued at around USD 50 million.

Alongside Merlin, Saxena has also co-founded another AI venture, Thine, adding to his growing presence in India's technology startup landscape at a time when investor interest in AI businesses continues to accelerate.

Why mindset matters as much as technology

For Saxena, however, technical expertise alone is not enough to build a successful company. During the interview, he argued that entrepreneurship often requires overcoming deeply ingrained beliefs about risk and opportunity.

He said many Indians grow up with what he described as a "scarcity mindset", shaped by limited resources and an instinct to avoid unnecessary risks. In contrast, founders who succeed tend to develop an "abundance mindset" that allows them to think beyond immediate constraints, pursue ambitious goals and make calculated bets on the future.

His comments resonated beyond discussions of startup funding or company valuations, offering a glimpse into the philosophy that has guided his own entrepreneurial decisions.

Perhaps the most revealing moment of the interview came when Saxena reflected on how unexpected his journey had been. Asked whether his 16-year-old self could have imagined becoming a millionaire through artificial intelligence, he answered without hesitation: "Absolutely not."

The remark underscored just how dramatically the AI boom has reshaped career opportunities for a new generation of engineers and entrepreneurs. In just a few years, advances in generative AI have fuelled the rise of startups capable of creating enormous value at unprecedented speed, opening doors that barely existed when many of today's founders began their careers.

Saxena's story mirrors that broader transformation. From navigating one of India's most competitive engineering programmes to building AI companies valued in the tens of millions of dollars, his journey reflects how technical skills, industry experience and entrepreneurial ambition can converge in an era where artificial intelligence is redefining both businesses and personal fortunes.