Popular AI search and answer engine Perplexity has claimed the top spot on India’s App Store, overtaking ChatGPT and Google Gemini in free app downloads. This achievement was confirmed by CEO Aravind Srinivas in a post on LinkedIn, marking a notable milestone for the company.
This surge in popularity comes just a day after Airtel’s announcement offering a free one-year Perplexity Pro subscription, valued at Rs. 17,000, to its entire user base of 360 million—covering mobile, broadband, and DTH customers. Users can claim the offer via the Airtel Thanks app within the "Rewards" or "Rewards & OTT" sections.
At the time of writing, ChatGPT still ruled Google Play Store with the number one spot in the Top Free Apps category. It reigned over popular apps like Kuku TV, Meesho, Seekho, and Instagram. Perplexity did not make it to the top charts on Play Store, hinting that iPhone users are adapting to the AI tool more than Android users.
According to Srinivas, this deal and India’s role in Perplexity’s growth make the country one of its top three global markets. The Perplexity Pro offer, valid until January 17 next year, has likely to have driven the app’s rapid rise in App Store rankings.
Perplexity Pro brings advanced features including access to GPT‑4.1, Claude, Grok 4, image generation tools, file uploads and analysis, plus “Labs”—for tasks like building spreadsheets or web apps . CEO Srinivas said the Airtel partnership makes professional-grade AI accessible to a wide audience—students, professionals, even homemakers—for free.
This is a key moment in the competition among AI apps in India, as Airtel’s distribution edge has propelled Perplexity ahead of rivals. India’s embrace of Perplexity highlights the growing public appetite for AI-powered search tools.
