Perplexity sees India as a shortcut in its race against OpenAI

When the Open is limited to leadership in the United States, confusion is taking a different way – quietly expands to India to compete in the next stage of adoption. The search-centered AI startup is quickly adding millions of users in the world’s second largest internet and smartphone market, which is located for itself for the mass market.

This week, confusion Partnership with Bharti AirtelIndia’s second largest telecom operator after Reliance Jio, a free 12-month confusion pro subscription-all priced at $ 200-all 360 million Airtel customers. Airtel confirmed to TechCrunch that this deal is exclusive, which means that no other telco in the country can provide confusion services with free access to their customers.

Airtel Partnership is one of the most important steps of surprise in the global expansion strategy that includes partnerships with more than 25 telkos worldwide, including recently announced persons Softbank in Japan And SK Telecom in South KoreaThe It comes down to volume. India is the most populous country in the world to bring in a mass market that San Francisco-based startup will not be found in other geographicals.

The confusion is already gaining large traction in the country. In Q2, the download downloads in India exclusively shared with TechCrunch, according to the censor tower data, downloads in India have increased by 600% of the year to 2.5 million. In comparison, Openai’s ChatzP has increased by 587%, at the same time the 46.7 million downloaded at the same time.

Active users also have a tendency to grow in India: Monthly active user of confusion in India (MAS) Q2 has increased by 640% over the years, while the MAS of ChatGPT has increased by 350%. India was also the largest market for the mouse to confuse the last quarter towards the censor tower. However, the ChatzP has maintained a significant leadership in the absolute number, for 19.8 million MAS vs. 3.7 million surprises.

Based on the previous partnership, the confusion is working to lift the user base of India for the jumpphrograd Western markets, where openly dominated salary customers. In the beginning of this year, the confusion Partner Paytm app with the Indian Fintec Giant Paytm to provide access to its AI-driven search, with 500 million downloads and contains in it Top-three app on the Unified payment interface of the Government of India The network, more than 1.2 billion transactions of 1,34,000 billion (about $ 15.6 billion).

Aurobindo Srinivas, CEO of the confusion, has also taken direct steps to expand India. In January, he announced Plan the appointment of an Indian executive In the country, which he later stuck after an acceptance “Overwhelming” responseThe He is more A Million has announced 1 million investment And a group building AI in India to promise five hours of his period.

Sources told TechCrunch that the beginning discussed the supply of its AI search engines to Indian students.

One reason is that confusion shows India as the main growth market that is relatively Limited number of local AI startupsEspecially in the AI search place. At the same time, the country’s technology-intellectual users have a large and active foundation-an event that has even encouraged Google to launch Google to launch AI-driven search features AI mode And AI Overview Before many other markets in India.

This large user has remained as a challenge to be cashing on the base. This confusion is still far behind the worldwide ChatzPT in terms of revenue, even both provide the same $ 20 per month’s starting price. In Q2, the revenue of the worldwide ChatGPT in-app purchase of 731% has increased to $ 773 million, while the confusion has increased by 300%, reaching $ 8 million per censor tower.

The revenue challenge is especially intense in India, where customers live in the notoriously SensitiveThe Nevertheless, there are committed signs. ChatzPT has increased over 800% of the year by the purchase of apps to Q2-$ 9 million in the country. The confusion could not create any significant in-apps from India, but the startup has a place to expand its customer base through India. Deals with a Airtel can help increase its customer base effectively in the short term.

In the markets like India, strategic partners can help investors to confuse the attention of those who value user growth and geographical diversity. However, to turn that attention into a long -term backing, the startup needs to be shown that it can convert its expanded user base into revenue.

Srinivas did not respond to the requests for comments.