Shashi Tharoor met 16-year-old AI innovator Raul John Aju on a Vande Bharat train, praising his work on Indian language AI. Raul, a Kerala-based prodigy, has built over 10 AI tools and works on making AI accessible and language-inclusive for India.
An unexpected but inspiring conversation on board a Vande Bharat train has caught national attention. Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor met 16-year-old AI innovator Raul John Aju during the journey, and their short discussion on artificial intelligence has since gone viral on social media.
Tharoor later shared a video of the interaction on Instagram, calling the meeting a glimpse into India’s future. In his caption, he praised the young innovator and highlighted the importance of building technology that reflects India’s diversity.
“Amazing to see young minds building AI that understands India’s many languages. This is the future of India’s tech story!” Tharoor wrote.
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In his X post, Tharoor praised the AI prodigy, as he wrote, "Encounters on the Vande Bharat are often pleasant, but rarely this illuminating! I had the pleasure of meeting Raul John Aju, a 16-year-old tech whiz who is doing incredible work in the field of Artificial Intelligence. We spoke about the necessity for AI to transcend borders and, crucially, to speak the vernacular of our diverse land."
"It was heartening to learn that Raul and his team (including a friend named Ishaan—a name that certainly rings a bell in my household!) are already building systems capable of voice processing in Malayalam, Hindi, and Urdu. Witnessing such ingenuity and drive in our youth gives me immense hope for India’s technological future. Wishing Raul and his team every success. It is young minds like his that will define India's 21st-century growth story," he added.
The viral video shows a thoughtful exchange between the senior politician and the teenage technologist, focusing on the future of AI in India and the need for Indian language support.
A simple question that sparked a big conversation
In the video, Raul John Aju is seen confidently asking Shashi Tharoor whether he personally uses artificial intelligence. Tharoor replies that he uses Gemini, Google’s AI tool.
Raul then raises a larger question: Does India not need its own AI?
Tharoor responds by saying that artificial intelligence should go beyond borders and should not be limited to one country. However, he adds that one important area where India must do more work is AI in Indian languages.
He stresses that technology must understand how Indians speak, think, and communicate, especially in regional languages.
Raul agrees with him immediately and says he is already working in that exact direction.
Building AI in Indian languages
During the conversation, Raul explains that the AI he is creating already supports several Indian languages. He says his system can handle voice-based interaction and currently works in Malayalam, English, Hindi, and Urdu.
This focus on language inclusion stood out to many viewers, as India has hundreds of languages and dialects, many of which are still ignored by global technology platforms.
The exchange showed how a young innovator and a senior leader shared the same concern — that AI must be useful for ordinary Indians, not just English speakers.
Who is Raul John Aju?
Raul John Aju is a 16-year-old AI prodigy from Kochi, Kerala. His journey into technology began unusually early. He started learning artificial intelligence at just six years old and began working with robots by the time he was ten.
Today, at an age when most students are still in school, Raul has already founded his own AI startup called JustEase. His work focuses on solving real-world problems using artificial intelligence rather than building technology only for show.
Raul has created more than 10 AI tools, each with a clear purpose — to help people, businesses, and public systems work better.
Founder, speaker, teacher and creator
According to his LinkedIn profile, Raul is the founder of AI Realm Technologies Pvt Ltd and Thinkcraft Academy, which together have reached more than 40,000 learners.
He describes himself as “AI Kid of India” and has spoken at TEDx events multiple times. He has also taught more than 140,000 students and professionals, including sessions held at IITs and technology events.
His learning sessions have taken place not only across India but also in the UAE, the US, and the UK. In addition, Raul has won the 100X Buildathon, India’s largest AI competition, twice at the national level.
AI tools built for real people
According to his LinkedIn profile, Raul’s work includes a wide range of practical AI tools. These include:
- NyayaSathi, a legal AI assistant designed for India
- JustEase, a 24/7 UAE bot that offers legal and emergency help
- ZapGap, which helps reduce cloud and infrastructure costs
- Mebot, a humanoid robot that acts as Raul’s AI-powered twin
He has also built WhatsApp bots, QR systems, gym trainers, certificate engines, and AI tools that automatically create social media posts.
Importantly, Raul has worked with the Kerala government and the Dubai AI Ministry on AI projects for public services.
Making AI simple and relatable
Beyond building tools, Raul is also a content creator. On Instagram and YouTube, where he goes by @RaulTheRockstar, he shares AI experiments, robot demos, and short skits that explain technology in an easy way.
His content has reached more than three million people online. He has collaborated with well-known creators and public figures, but he often says that his goal is not popularity.
His personal mission is simple: to help people move from being 'AI curious' to 'AI serious'.
The short meeting between Shashi Tharoor and Raul John Aju may have lasted only a few minutes, but it reflected something larger, a bridge between experience and youth, policy and innovation.
As Tharoor suggested, this may well be the future of India's tech story.
