Who Is Srinivas Narayanan? IIT Graduate Who Led ChatGPT At OpenAI Resigns, Returning To India

Last Updated:April 18, 2026, 17:25 IST

Narayanan he plans to return to India to spend meaningful time with his aging parents before pursuing his next career opportunity.

Srinivas Narayanan, a senior engineering executive at OpenAI, has announced that he will be stepping down from his role by the end of next week. His departure comes at a time when the company is experiencing rapid expansion, particularly in its enterprise artificial intelligence offerings.

Narayanan shared the news through a post on X, reflecting on his tenure at the company. He described the past three years as “an incredible journey" that felt significantly longer due to the pace and intensity of innovation. According to him, the decision to leave was influenced by the timing of several recent and upcoming product launches, which he viewed as a natural transition point.

Narayanan indicated a personal motivation as well—he plans to return to India to spend meaningful time with his aging parents before pursuing his next career opportunity.

Who is Srinivas Narayanan?

Srinivas Narayanan has emerged as a prominent figure in the global technology and artificial intelligence ecosystem, with a career spanning leading roles at some of the world’s most influential tech companies. With a strong academic foundation and decades of experience in software engineering and large-scale platforms, Narayanan has played a key role in shaping products used by millions worldwide.

Narayanan holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, which he completed between 1991 and 1995, according to his LinkedIn profile. He went on to pursue a Master of Science in Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1995 to 1996, further strengthening his technical expertise.

He began his professional journey in 1997 as a software engineer at IBM’s Almaden Research Center. After his stint at IBM, he served as Director of Technology at Tavant Technologies, gaining experience in managing engineering teams and technology strategy. In 2007, Narayanan co-founded Viralizr, where he worked as Chief Technology Officer on consumer products focused on social collaboration.

In 2008, Narayanan joined Meta, then known as Facebook, as Vice President of Engineering. Over more than a decade at the company, he led large-scale engineering initiatives, contributing to the growth and evolution of the platform during a period of rapid expansion.

Following his long tenure at Meta, Narayanan briefly worked with General Catalyst on artificial intelligence-related projects. In April 2023, he joined OpenAI as Vice President of Engineering, marking a key move into the forefront of the AI industry.

At OpenAI, Narayanan led several critical areas, including ChatGPT, the developer API platform and the supporting infrastructure. His role placed him at the centre of efforts to scale AI tools for both consumers and developers. In September 2025, he was elevated to the position of Chief Technology Officer for B2B Applications, overseeing technology for business-focused AI solutions.

Narayanan held the CTO role until his departure from OpenAI after more than three years at the company, concluding a significant chapter in his leadership within the AI sector.

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