- The new platform captures 1M+ daily active users in India by Q3 2024, showing 34% higher retention than ChatGPT in the region
- Real-time citations, Pro Search, and specialized Focus modes deliver decisive advantages for researchers, professionals, and students
- Native language support in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada positions it as the AI platform built for India’s linguistic diversity
The AI conversation landscape in India is shifting dramatically. While ChatGPT held the throne for years, Perplexity AI is now the platform taking center stage. This isn’t just another trend – it’s a fundamental shift in how millions of Indians consume AI-powered information. By Q3 2024, Perplexity AI had crossed 1 million daily active users in India alone, with retention rates 34% higher than ChatGPT. The search-and-research game has fundamentally changed. So what’s driving this explosive growth, and why are professionals, students, and researchers abandoning ChatGPT for this alternative? Let’s explore the five features reshaping India’s AI ecosystem.
What Makes This AI Shift Different?
Unlike ChatGPT’s static training data, the new platform operates as a real-time search engine with conversational intelligence. It pulls live information from the web and cites every source, making it invaluable for researchers and professionals tracking breaking news. This capability is especially critical in India’s fast-paced startup ecosystem where outdated information can cost deals.
The growth trajectory tells the story. Users report significantly faster response times, better accuracy on current events, and transparency through live citations. Teachers across India’s top engineering colleges now recommend it specifically because students can verify every claim instantly.
Read More: Perplexity Pro is Free for Airtel Users: How to Claim Your One-Year Subscription
Feature 1: Real-Time Web Search With Transparent Citations
Here’s the game-changer: every answer comes with live sources, links, and publication dates. Ask about the latest funding round of a Bangalore-based fintech startup, and you get immediate citations. This level of transparency is where traditional ChatGPT struggles – its knowledge frequently becomes outdated, leaving users uncertain about accuracy.
The citation feature solves a massive problem in India’s educational space. Students can now submit research backed by verifiable sources, eliminating plagiarism concerns and building research integrity.
Feature 2: Collections and Custom Focus Modes
The platform lets users create personalized collections for different research areas. A venture capital investor tracking Indian startups can maintain separate collections for regulatory updates, competitor intelligence, and funding trends. This granular organization simply doesn’t exist in ChatGPT’s interface.
Focus modes – Academic, Writing, Research, and Finance – deliver context-specific answers. The Finance mode, for instance, pulls from financial databases and market reports, making it perfect for India’s rapidly growing investment community. Professionals report saving 3-4 hours daily by using these specialized modes.
Read More: Top 10 AI tools Indian startups are using to scale operations
Feature 3: Pro Search for Advanced Research
Pro Search orchestrates multi-step research autonomously. Ask it to analyze India’s 5G adoption compared to Southeast Asia, and it simultaneously searches multiple sources, cross-references data, and synthesizes findings into a cohesive report – all in seconds.
This feature eliminates hours of manual research. Consultants, analysts, and business researchers who previously stitched together information from 10+ sources now get comprehensive reports in minutes. The time-to-insight has dropped dramatically, reshaping how Indian organizations make decisions.
Feature 4: Mobile-Optimized for India’s Smartphone-First Population
India has 750+ million smartphone users, many on 4G networks with mid-range devices. The platform’s mobile app is built for this reality – it’s lightning-fast, uses minimal data, and performs smoothly on older devices. ChatGPT’s app, while functional, often feels sluggish by comparison.
This accessibility factor cannot be overstated. Indians in tier-2 and tier-3 cities with slower internet connections find it noticeably snappier. The mobile-first approach is directly driving adoption across non-metro regions where smartphone penetration is accelerating fastest.
Feature 5: Native Language Support Including Hindi and Regional Indian Languages
Support for Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada represents a watershed moment for AI democratization. ChatGPT’s multilingual capabilities exist but feel like afterthoughts. In India, where 90% of internet users prefer local languages, native language support is transformative.
A student in Chennai can ask questions entirely in Tamil and receive answers with Tamil-language citations. This capability is unlocking AI access for non-English speakers across India’s diverse regions. The linguistic inclusivity is why adoption continues accelerating in states where English proficiency isn’t assumed.
Netizens React
The shift is generating real conversation across tech communities.
One investor on Twitter wrote, “Just switched from ChatGPT to this platform for startup research. The real-time citations are unmatched – finally, an AI that doesn’t give me month-old information.” Another professional commented, “As someone tracking the Indian startup ecosystem daily, this has become indispensable. ChatGPT simply can’t compete on currency and accuracy.”
However, not everyone is convinced.
One developer noted, “It’s excellent for search and research, but ChatGPT still wins for creative writing and coding assistance. Both tools have their strengths.” This balanced perspective reflects how the market is evolving – it’s not about one winner, but specialized tools for different needs.
Read More: ChatGPT vs Perplexity AI – which AI tool should you choose in 2025?
India’s AI landscape is unmistakably shifting. A platform built specifically for real-time research, mobile accessibility, and linguistic inclusivity is winning where generic solutions failed. While ChatGPT excels at creative tasks and coding, the market leader in research-driven AI has become clear.
What started as an alternative to ChatGPT has become the default choice for information-seeking Indians. The combination of accuracy, speed, accessibility, and regional language support hits India’s unique market needs perfectly. By 2025, this isn’t just a trend – it’s the new standard.
What’s your experience been? Are you using this platform for work or research? Share your thoughts in the comments and discover more breakthrough AI stories on Startup INDIAX!
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is this platform and how does it compete with ChatGPT?
It’s an AI-powered search engine that delivers real-time answers with live citations, unlike ChatGPT which relies on static training data. This real-time capability makes it ideal for current research, breaking news, and accessing the latest information.
Why is this platform gaining so much traction specifically in India?
The combination of multilingual support for Indian languages, mobile-first design optimized for lower bandwidth, real-time accuracy, and accessibility across tier-2 and tier-3 cities makes it uniquely suited to India’s diverse population and infrastructure realities.
Can this platform completely replace ChatGPT?
Not entirely. While it excels at research, real-time information retrieval, and citations, ChatGPT remains superior for creative writing, brainstorming, and coding tasks. Most power users benefit from maintaining both tools for different purposes.
Is this platform free to use in India?
It offers a free version with robust search capabilities and a Pro subscription ($20/month) for advanced features like Pro Search and higher query limits. The free tier is sufficient for most casual users.
How does this platform prevent misinformation?
By providing live sources with publication dates and citing multiple references per answer, it allows users to independently verify claims. This commitment to source transparency significantly reduces misinformation compared to traditional AI chatbots that can hallucinate or present outdated information.