At just 16, Raul John Aju from Kochi, Kerala, is combining school education with entrepreneurship. The Class 12 Commerce student is reportedly running an AI startup with around 15 employees, has developed about 15 AI tools and has trained nearly five lakh learners through his AI education initiatives.
One of the most unusual aspects of his journey is that his father, Aju Joseph, works for him and reportedly receives a ₹2 lakh monthly salary.
Raul John Aju is a 16-year-old AI entrepreneur from Kerala, popularly known as the “AI Kid of India.” He is currently studying Class 12 Commerce at North Edappally GHSS in Kunnumpuram, Kochi. Unlike many technology entrepreneurs who enter the industry after completing engineering or computer science degrees, Raul began exploring technology during his childhood, gradually turning his interest into AI projects, entrepreneurship and technology education.
His interest in technology reportedly began when he was around nine years old, initially through video editing. His father, Aju Joseph, was working at Adobe at the time, which gave Raul access to advanced digital tools and opportunities to explore different aspects of technology. As he continued learning, he developed a deeper interest in artificial intelligence and began teaching himself how AI works and how it could be used to create practical solutions.
At the age of 12, Raul developed MeBot, a robot as part of a school science project. The project marked an important step in his journey from experimenting with technology to building his own innovations. Instead of limiting himself to using existing tools, he focused on understanding how technology works and creating solutions independently.
His early experiments eventually paved the way for several AI-related projects and entrepreneurial ventures.
While continuing his school education, Raul expanded his work into AI tool development and technology training, establishing himself as a young entrepreneur working at the intersection of education and artificial intelligence.
By the time he was 16, Raul had reportedly developed around 15 AI tools and projects.
Some of the projects mentioned in reports include:
The projects cover different practical applications of AI and technology.
Reports say Raul’s focus has been on using AI to solve practical problems rather than developing technology merely as a demonstration.
Perhaps the most unusual part of Raul’s story is his professional relationship with his father, Aju Joseph.
While many teenagers depend on their parents financially, Raul has reportedly hired his father to work at his company and pays him approximately ₹2 lakh per month.
Aju Joseph has professional experience with major technology companies including Amazon, Adobe, Wipro and IBM.
Raul has explained that although he can learn a great deal from the internet and his phone, his father’s years of professional experience are something that cannot simply be acquired online.
Raul has also jokingly said that having his father in the company was beneficial for his marketing.
Raul is reportedly leading a startup with approximately 15 employees, with some team members working remotely from different parts of the world.
His entrepreneurial work has developed alongside his Class 12 studies, making his schedule considerably different from that of a typical school student.
Different reports have referred to the venture using names including AIRealm Technologies/AI Technologies, so the company naming should be verified against Raul’s current official profile before publication. ThePrint identifies him on LinkedIn as the founder and CTO of AIRealm Technologies.
Raul’s work is not limited to developing AI tools. His venture also operates ThinkCraft Academy, an initiative focused on AI education and training.
Reports say his training initiatives have reached nearly five lakh learners worldwide, including students and professionals associated with institutions such as IITs, IIMs, foreign universities and corporate organisations.
His approach is to make AI learning accessible to people beyond traditional computer science backgrounds.
Raul’s work has taken him beyond his school and startup.
At the 2026 India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, he participated in a United Nations-organised session on AI and children’s safety and delivered the opening address. He also interacted with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN Special Envoy Amandeep Gill, according to reports.
His work has also brought him into discussions surrounding technology, education and public services.
Raul has argued that young people should learn and use AI while retaining qualities such as creativity, empathy, curiosity and individuality.
His message is not simply that students should learn AI tools. Instead, he has emphasised that AI should be used as a tool for creativity and problem-solving rather than replacing the human qualities that make people unique.
At the India Today South Conclave 2025, Raul spoke about India’s potential in technology and stressed the importance of research, skills, education and creativity.
His own academic journey is notable because he is studying Commerce, while simultaneously working in artificial intelligence—a field commonly associated with engineering and computer science.
Raul’s journey combines school education, self-learning, AI development and entrepreneurship at an unusually young age. He began exploring technology as a child, created his first robot as a school project, developed multiple AI tools and eventually built a startup while continuing his Class 12 studies.
The reported arrangement with his father is another distinctive part of the story. Rather than simply receiving career guidance from his father, Raul has brought him into the company as an employee, allowing him to learn from his father’s professional experience while building his own business.
For a website article, the strongest factual angle is therefore not just the ₹2 lakh salary, but the broader story of a 16-year-old Class 12 Commerce student from Kerala who began learning AI at nine, built MeBot at 12, developed around 15 AI tools and is now running a startup while his experienced father works for him.
Also read:
17-Year-Old Imran Chaudhary Builds ₹5 Crore AI Startup While Studying in Class 12
From Rs 3,000 a month to Rs 58 lakh a year: The NIT dropout who skipped the degree
Kerala’s Govind Krishnan Becomes ISRO Scientist After Studying Vedas: From Gurukula to Space Research
