Google says Gemini was most searched AI in India in 2025, Grok and Perplexity beat ChatGPT in buzz

As India wraps up 2025, Google’s Year in Search report paints a clear picture of what dominated digital curiosity this year, and it’s all about artificial intelligence. According to the report, Google’s own Gemini emerged as the most searched AI tool in India, surpassing ChatGPT in search popularity. The findings suggest that Indians are increasingly exploring new AI platforms for both creativity and productivity, marking a cultural shift from casual curiosity to daily integration.
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India’s growing AI fascination
Google’s annual search insights revealed that Gemini was the top second overall trending search of 2025, trailing only the Indian Premier League. Gemini’s rise reflects how AI has transitioned from buzzword to an essential tool. From generating text and images to powering “Nano Banana” trends, a reference to Gemini’s 2.5 Flash Image model that drove viral 3D and saree transformation edits, AI became deeply embedded in India’s digital culture.
What makes this particularly striking is that Gemini wasn’t alone. The report shows that India’s AI curiosity extended far beyond Google’s ecosystem. Tools like Grok, Perplexity, DeepSeek, and Google AI Studio were among the most searched AI platforms, each trending in different contexts, Grok for humour-infused chat, Perplexity for its search-style responses, and DeepSeek for its creative image generation.
In short, India spent 2025 experimenting with an entire ecosystem of AI assistants, editors, and generators. “The year AI became an everyday companion,” the report noted, highlighting how users increasingly turned to these tools to learn, create, and get things done.
From Gemini to Grok: A year of AI trends
India’s engagement with AI wasn’t confined to productivity. Google’s data reveals that AI also became a medium for artistic expression. The Nano Banana trend in particular transformed social feeds, as users generated stylised caricatures, 3D figurines, and hyperreal portraits using image models powered by Gemini. Search interest around phrases like “Gemini saree trend prompt” and “3D model trend” peaked throughout the year, showing how AI creativity blurred the line between art and technology.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s Grok, integrated within X (formerly Twitter), also saw rising buzz in India. Grok captured attention for its sarcastic tone and contextual awareness, distinguishing itself from the formality of competitors. Paired with Perplexity AI, a search-focused chatbot that challenges Google Search itself, the pair often dominated online discussions about “the best AI assistant.”
While OpenAI’s ChatGPT continued to be widely used, it wasn’t the headline-maker it once was. According to Google’s A to Z breakdown, ChatGPT trailed behind newer, lighter models that promised faster, more integrated experiences. “India explored a whole ecosystem of tools,” the report said, noting that 2025 marked a democratisation of AI use, spanning research, entertainment, design, and even meme-making.
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This surge of AI-related searches also shows how rapidly Indians are adapting to emerging technology. From students asking Gemini to draft essays, to entrepreneurs using Perplexity for business summaries, and influencers experimenting with Grok-style wit, the lines between human creativity and machine assistance continued to blur.
In a year dominated by cricket, cinema, and culture, AI managed to claim a top spot in the nation’s curiosity. As Google’s Year in Search 2025 shows, Indians weren’t just searching for answers, they were exploring how artificial intelligence could shape everyday life, one query at a time.
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