In a surprising turn of events, Airtel Perplexity AI has surpassed ChatGPT to become the number one free app on the Apple App Store for iOS in India. This development was shared by Aravind Srinivas, the CEO of Perplexity, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The sudden surge in downloads is largely attributed to Airtel’s recent offer, which provides users free access to Perplexity’s AI services. The promotional push has clearly paid off, catapulting the app past OpenAI’s ChatGPT in the rankings — a rare feat considering ChatGPT’s stronghold on the AI app category globally.
While ChatGPT remains immensely popular, Perplexity’s rise highlights growing competition in the AI assistant space. Known for its conversational search engine capabilities, Perplexity offers concise, source-linked answers to user queries — a format that’s proving to be a hit among mobile users seeking fast and reliable information.
The development also underscores the power of strategic partnerships and regional promotions. Airtel’s move to bundle Perplexity access with its services could mark a new trend in how telcos help drive app adoption, especially in competitive tech markets like India.
As the AI race heats up, Perplexity’s rise in India may just be the beginning of a broader challenge to ChatGPT’s dominance — one powered not just by features, but also by accessibility and local relevance.