The AI Evangelist: How Nivedan Rathi Is Building India’s Future in Generative Intelligence

In a world where artificial intelligence is evolving at warp speed, one man is quietly becoming one of the most influential voices in India’s AI movement. Nivedan Rathi, founder of Future & AI, has transformed what started as a passion for technology into a thriving global platform—bringing AI learning, networking, and application to hundreds of thousands of people.

From IIT Bombay to AI Pioneer

A proud alumnus of IIT Bombay, Nivedan’s early career trajectory had all the hallmarks of a promising technologist. Over the years, he served as a founding member and product leader at multiple startups, built AI and computer vision products, and even led business & marketing efforts at Meesho, a leading Indian e-commerce platform. His insider’s view of both product development and go-to-market strategies would later become the backbone of his AI mission.

But for him, building startups and products was only the beginning. He believed that the real frontier lay in unlocking the potential of Generative AI—not as a tool reserved for experts, but as a powerful enabler for visionaries, changemakers, and everyday leaders.

The Birth of Future & AI

That belief catalyzed the creation of Future & AI, now one of India’s fastest-growing AI ecosystems. Within a remarkably short span, the platform has amassed over 500,000 followers across social and learning channels (per his profile)  It has become a hub where entrepreneurs, executives, and innovators converge to understand, experiment with, and deploy generative AI.

The offerings aren’t just academic. Future & AI delivers content, workshops, consulting, and advisory services geared toward helping leaders 10x their impact by adopting AI in real-world workflows. Its success is evident—not only by sheer reach but by the trust it has built among decision-makers across sectors.

Content, Community & Credibility

Nivedan is active in the spotlight. He has delivered over 50+ talks and keynotes across tech and entrepreneurship events, where he demystifies AI for leaders and proposes frameworks to use it responsibly. He has been featured on podcasts and panels discussing AI’s implications for jobs, strategy, and society. For example, on The Journey Podcast, he discussed topics such as ChatGPT, AI’s future, and how leaders should adapt.

One of his most compelling talks—“The Teenage Founder's Secret Weapon: AI”—lays out how he swapped the conventional path for building startups early and leveraging AI as the accelerant. He urges listeners not just to follow AI tools, but to co-create with AI, prompting the system to ask the right questions.

The broad-based trust he enjoys is also anchored in his visible credibility: his LinkedIn bio, speaker bureau profiles, and social media presence all reinforce his role as a bridge between technical depth and accessible education.

Advisory, Investment & Strategy

Nivedan doesn’t only teach AI—he invests in it and guides its adoption. He has consulted for high-level organizations such as PAR, a U.S.-listed company, assisting with GenAI strategy. He has been AI advisor to Think9, founded by Kishore Biyani, and Athena Education, a leading name in India’s study-abroad consulting space. In doing so, he helps align AI capabilities with real business models. 

His “AI Advisor” roles serve as proof that he doesn’t just speak about AI—he deploys it. He evaluates startups’ technical potential, scalability, and product-market fit, drawing on his deep hands-on experience in product development and business strategy.

Mission: One Million Builders by 2030

At the core of his journey lies a bold mission: to empower 1 million entrepreneurs to master generative AI by 2030. Rather than focusing solely on theory or hype, he bridges advanced capability with practical execution.

His growth metrics underscore that promise. Future & AI reportedly crossed 100 million content views and scaled 500,000 followers in under two years. He also trains enterprise leadership—he once delivered a two-day GenAI upskilling to executives at Adani’s headquarters. He has led consulting work with boards and senior leadership teams.

By combining public education with enterprise adoption, Nivedan forges a pipeline: leaders who learn AI can bring it into their organizations—and fuel demand for AI-literate builders and startups.

Thinking Bigger: AI, Culture & Responsibility

Nivedan frequently speaks to the bigger questions—automations, job displacement, AI ethics, human-AI collaboration—and his narrative is balanced. He doesn’t see AI as a replacement, but as a partner that amplifies human vision. His podcast appearance on The Labyrinth explores AI’s impact on human jobs, empathy, and the future of work.

At the 2024 FWA Industry–Academia Conclave, he challenged audiences to view AI classrooms not as futuristic fantasies but as near-future reality. He framed AI tools as instruments to tackle global challenges like climate change, public health, and inequality.

The Path Ahead

Nivedan Rathi is not merely building a company—he is architecting an ecosystem. One where content creators, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and AI technologists converge, learn, and build together. His blend of education, strategy, community, and investment gives him a rare vantage: not just to talk about the future, but to shape it.

For readers of this magazine curious about AI, entrepreneurship, or future trends—Nivedan Rathi demonstrates that success does not stem from mastery of one domain. Rather, it emerges from connecting domains, catalyzing growth, and enabling others to build upon your foundations.

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