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OpenAI, Google, Perplexity go free in India to grow AI user base
India has become a key battleground for AI firms due to its large smartphone user base.
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IANS - Fri, 19, Dec 2025
- 02:57 EST
- 16
AI Image / IANS
OpenAI, Google and Perplexity have launched free access to their premium artificial intelligence tools in India, intensifying competition in one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets.
The move is aimed at rapidly expanding their user base in the country, where low data costs and a massive smartphone population are driving strong demand for AI-powered services.
India has become a key battleground for AI firms due to its large smartphone user base of about 730 million and some of the cheapest mobile data rates globally.
Users in India consume about 21 gigabytes of data per month, paying just 9.2 cents per gigabyte, making heavy use of AI tools far more affordable than in many other countries.
OpenAI has taken a similar approach by making its ChatGPT Go plan free for one year in India. The plan, which allows higher usage than standard versions of ChatGPT, is usually paid in more than 100 countries and was earlier priced at $54 in India. The free offer, launched nationwide in November, is available only to Indian users.
These moves have led to a sharp jump in usage. Data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower show daily active users of ChatGPT in India surged 607 percent year over year to 73 million as of last week.
That figure is more than double the number of daily users in the United States. India has now become the largest market by daily users for both chatbots.
Perplexity has also stepped up its India push by offering its Pro plan, which costs $200 a year globally, free for one year to Airtel customers.
The company said the plan gives users unlimited access to its most advanced research tools. Following the offer, India now accounts for more than one-third of Perplexity’s global daily active users, up from just 7 percent last year.
User engagement data suggest ChatGPT currently leads in India. In November, about 46 percent of its monthly users opened the app daily, compared with 20 percent for Perplexity and 14 percent for Gemini.
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