Perplexity AI is making waves in India, riding high on a mix of product innovation, aggressive marketing, and key local partnerships. The app surged to the top of India’s App Store charts after a free subscription tie-up with Airtel, outpacing ChatGPT in growth. “Airtel has 38.5 crore subscribers in India, like me, who might now seriously explore Perplexity Pro,” said Rahul Mathur of DeVC, underscoring the app's viral potential. With a 640% YoY jump in Indian monthly active users in Q2, Perplexity has firmly established the country as its biggest market, even surpassing Gemini and CoPilot in mobile retention. CEO Aravind Srinivas confirmed the app’s growing stickiness and shared his vision for Comet, a new AI-powered browser designed to lead the agentic workflow revolution. “The browser is a product that you use more than chat,” he said. Perplexity’s strategy leans on collaboration rather than enterprise contracts. The app aggregates multiple LLMs—including GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini—adapting dynamically to user queries. With funding touching $100M and valuation soaring to $18B, Srinivas has doubled down on India by partnering with Paytm and investing ₹1 million of his own funds in local AI talent and research. “India isn’t just a market—it’s central to our strategy,” Srinivas said, having also met PM Narendra Modi to discuss AI adoption. With Perplexity’s India-first approach taking shape, the company is poised to redefine the search experience and challenge Big Tech in one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies.
Really disrupting much faster than anything that exist in the planet today... #Perplexity Aravind Srinivas
It's registered in SFO,CA
Its fabulous!
Perplexity growth is smart, but I still feel we need to move beyond just API-wrapping. I'm personally building something from scratch, no API, no dependency — completely offline, self-learning, and designed for India-first intelligence. It's early but powerful. Sometimes, real innovation doesn't shout — it builds quietly.
Impressive strides by Perplexity AI! It's exciting to see such innovation flourishing in India, especially with a focus on collaboration and local partnerships. The potential for reshaping the search experience is truly inspiring. Looking forward to seeing how this evolves.
Thanks for sharing! Way to go Perplexity for Bharat vision. Let me know if I can be of any support. Thanks!
Perplexity AI's impressive growth in India reflects a strategic blend of innovation, marketing, and local partnerships. With 640% YoY increase in monthly active users, it now leads the market ahead of Gemini and CoPilot. The CEO's vision for Comet browser, an AI-powered tool designed to revolutionize workflows, further positions Perplexity as a game-changer. By collaborating with Paytm and investing in local talent, the company's valuation has skyrocketed to $18B. India is not just a market for Perplexity; it's its core strategy. With such dynamic moves, Perplexity seems ready to redefine search experiences and challenge Big Tech in the rapidly growing digital economy of India. Follow ClaveHR on LinkedIn for updates: www.clavehr.in - Your HR Co-Pilot!
Thoughtful post, thanks
IIM Trichy’25 | Amantya, Dell (ISM), Cisco (CCNA), Jorie AI, Leadsquared, Edmilez | AI Product Strategy Consulting | B.E. CSE NMIT Bangalore
3moImpressive to see Perplexity AI's rapid growth and strategic partnerships in India. The focus on collaboration and innovation sets a strong foundation for redefining the digital experience. Excited to see how this will shape the future of AI in the region.