ChatGPT most-used AI platform to find info in India; 31 pc willing to switch to DeepSeek: Survey
New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI): About half of Indian internet users surveyed said they are already using AI platforms, with OpenAI's ChatGPT leading the segment, an online survey said on Tuesday.
Google and other search engines are preferred mode for 40 per cent of respondents over AI platforms for finding information, online survey firm LocalCircles said.
The survey conducted between August 11, 2024, amd February 1, 2025, claims to have received over 92,000 responses from citizens located in 309 districts of India while the number of responses for each question varied.
In response to question on which AI platform is mostly used for finding information, 28 per cent of the 15,377 respondents said they use ChatGPT, 9 per cent Perplexity, 6 per cent Co-Pilot directly or via Bing, 3 per cent each uses "Gemini via Google" and Llama, while 6 per cent indicated "an AI platform not listed in the survey.
"To sum up, 1 in 2 Indian internet users are already using AI platforms, with ChatGPT being most widely used among those surveyed," LocalCircles said.
The survey found that 90 per cent Indian AI users surveyed use AI platforms primarily in text mode while 10 per cent use them in voice mode.
When asked about the new platform DeepSeek developed in China is provides advanced AI features free to consumers and if they will consider switching to such a platform from the existing ones, 8 per cent out of 15,753 AI platform users stated that they have already switched, 15 per cent stated that "yes, they will switch unless other platforms also offer advanced features free", 8 per cent stated that they will switch regardless and 38 per cent expressed unwillingness to switch.
"3 in 10 Indian users of AI platforms have switched to DeepSeek or will soon do so," the survey said.
The survey found that 3 in 10 Indian users of AI platforms surveyed have a paid or premium subscription.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
