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Perplexity Sees India As A Shortcut In Its Race Against OpenAI
The search-focused AI startup Perplexity is shifting gears in its competitive battle with OpenAI by leveraging the vast user base of India, which boasts the world’s second-largest internet and smartphone market. The strategic decision comes amid a heated race between the two major players in the AI space.
Perplexity has been quietly expanding into the Indian market, where it has garnered significant traction by partnering with prominent local operators such as Bharti Airtel to offer its AI search engine services to millions of users. In recent months, Perplexity’s downloads have surged 600% year-over-year in India, reaching an astonishing figure of 2.8 million.
In contrast, OpenAI’s ChatGPT saw a relatively moderate growth rate of 587% during the same period, with 46.7 million downloads. Additionally, Perplexity has witnessed a massive 640% increase in its monthly active users (MAUs) in India, surpassing its global MAU growth.
These figures demonstrate Perplexity’s remarkable success in gaining a strong foothold in this emerging market. This bold move allows the company to bypass Western markets, where OpenAI enjoys a dominant position.
Perplexity has already demonstrated an understanding of local needs by partnering with Paytm, a leading fintech giant in India, allowing users to access its AI-powered search services through the popular app.
Source: techcrunch.com
