1 in 2 Indian internet users surveyed are already using AI platforms; 31% of them have or are likely to switch to DeepSeek soon
- ● 66% of those who use AI platforms use it for finding information while 25% users also use them to summarise documents or other use cases
- ● Only 18% AI users find information generated from AI platforms to be inaccurate
- ● 90% Indian AI users surveyed use these platforms in text mode
- ● ChatGPT still most commonly used platform but many have switched to DeepSeek or likely to soon

February 4, 2025, New Delhi: DeepSeek, a relatively unknown Chinese AI startup, offered as an open-source platform has emerged as a challenger to established players like OpenAI, Google and Meta, with its recent release of cutting-edge, affordable AI model R1. The rapidly changing tech scenario is transforming how people work and do business with the rapid adoption of AI (artificial intelligence) tools, escalating the debate about how machines will replace humans for most routine tasks.
OpenAI’s new O3 model is designed to enhance reasoning capabilities particularly in areas like mathematics, science and coding and O3-mini, a smaller, more efficient version is now available to all ChatGPT users including those on free tier. Gemini is Google’s AI platform which is now integrated into Google Search while Llama 3 is Meta’s latest version of AI and one that is integrated into platforms like WhatsApp. Another company Anthropic has Claude 3.5 Sonnet, one of the most intelligent models from the company till date. In addition to these there is Grok, an AI model by xAI. Then there is Copilot from Microsoft, which uses GPT-4 or Perplexity which uses models like GPT-4 or Claude 3.5 Sonnet. DeepSeek being open source is already integrated into Perplexity and several other AI engines are in the process of integrating it. DeepSeek is getting unprecedented attention because of its cost effective development which the company claims has been done for USD 6 million as compared to the hundreds of millions deployed by others.
All of these platforms can help with routine tasks like finding information, researching, writing, analysing data, summarising documents and some can also generate images, videos or even power point slides thereby automating most routine tasks currently done on a screen by a human. As the IQ of these models goes up, the world is looking at achieving AGI which denotes a type of artificial intelligence that matches or surpasses human cognitive abilities across a wide range of tasks.
India is also using AI by many internet users now using it for some of the tasks described earlier and a whole ecosystem of apps being developed using major AI models. DeepSeek with its low cost is likely to be a great resource for startups aiming to create sectoral apps in health, finance, retail, etc. In sync with the changing scenario, the Government of India is working on development, regulation and legislations around AI. Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw recently emphasized India’s commitment to building its own AI model within 10 months catering to the unique need of Indian users including language and the cultural context. The Government has secured 18,600 GPUs for this project.
Given all these developments and thousands of posts and comments related to Aritificial Intelligence received on its platform from users across the country, LocalCircles conducted its first nationwide survey to understand “How India uses AI”. The survey received over 92,000 responses from citizens located in 309 districts of India. 64% respondents were men while 36% respondents were women. 45% respondents were from tier 1, 31% from tier 2 and 24% respondents were from tier 3, 4, 5 and rural districts. The survey was conducted between August 2024 and February 2025.
1 in 2 Indian internet users are already using AI platforms; ChatGPT most widely used
The survey first asked, “Which AI platform do you use the most these days to find information?” The question received 15,377 responses with 28% indicating “Chat GPT”; 9% indicated “Perplexity”; 6% indicated “Co-Pilot directly or via Bing”; 3% indicated “Gemini via Google”; 3% indicated "Llama”; 6% indicated "an AI platform not listed above”; 40% of respondents who were also internet users stated, ”Don’t use AI platforms but rely on Google/ other search engines” and 5% of respondents did not give a clear answer. To sum up, 1 in 2 Indian internet users are already using AI platforms; with ChatGPT being most widely used among those surveyed.

Only 18% Indian AI users surveyed find information generated through AI platforms to be inaccurate; 36% find it to be high in accuracy
As AI platforms serve multiple uses with some serving as search engines/ providing information, the survey next asked users, “How accurate do you currently find the information generated by AI platforms for your queries?” The question received 15,457 responses with 8% stating that information generated by AI was “extremely accurate”; 20% it was “mostly accurate” and 40% said it was “somewhat accurate”. However, 9% of respondents said the information provided was “mostly inaccurate”; 9% stated it was “quite inaccurate” and 5% of respondents did not give a clear answer. To sum up, only 18% Indian AI users surveyed find information generated through AI platforms to be inaccurate; 36% find it to be high in accuracy. Inputs from community discussions indicate that most Indian users are still using the platforms as search engines or at best for writing as opposed to using them for advanced tasks like summarizing documents, analyzing data or coding.

90% Indian AI users surveyed use AI platforms primarily in text mode while 10% use them in voice mode
Indians tend to use voice a lot in addition to texting, even on social media platforms like Whatsapp. The next question in the survey attempted to understand if the voice feature on some of the AI platforms was being used extensively. The survey asked, “When using AI platforms to find information, what mode do you primarily use for inputs/ questions?” Out of 14,836 who responded to the question only 19% indicated that they use “voice” facility while 90% of respondents indicated “text”. In essence, 90% Indian AI users surveyed use AI platforms primarily in text mode while only 10% use them in voice mode at this time. As usage of AI spreads to tier 4 & 5 towns and rural locations and AI platforms become available in various languages the usage of voice based input medium is likely to go up.

2 in 3 Indian AI users surveyed use AI to look for information
As various AI platforms offer different functions/ uses, the survey next asked Al users, “What all do you currently use AI platforms for?” Some among the 15,038 indicate more than one option. The largest group of 66% indicated that they use AI platform “looking for information”; 25% stated “looking for information not easily available via search engines”; 25% stated "for summarizing documents”; 9% stated "for writing”; 9% stated "for creating or enhancing pictures”; 9% stated "for creating or enhancing videos”; and 16% stated "for use in cases other than ones listed above”. To sum up, 2 in 3 Indian AI users surveyed use AI to look for information.

3 in 10 Indian users of AI platforms surveyed have a paid/premium subscription
Many of the AI platforms charge a subscription fee for some or all their services. The survey next asked AI users, “If you are using AI platform for information and other task, for how many platforms do you currently have a paid subscription?” Out of 15, 942 who responded to the question 70% stated “none of them”. However, 9% of respondents stated, “1 of them” and 21% stated “2-3 of them”. To sum up, 3 in 10 Indian users of AI platforms surveyed have a paid/premium subscription. Community feedback indicates that there are many users who have a subscription from their workplace that they also utilize for personal usage.

3 in 10 Indian users of AI platforms have switched to DeepSeek or will soon do so
DeepSeek’s affordable R1 model and its approach of making AI open source, which enables others to use and improve their work for free, is creating ripples in the tech world. The reason is not far to find as DeepSeek with its emphasis on developing more efficient and cost-effective AI models, particularly hardware, is directly competing with those developed by established US companies. Its AI model reportedly costs 30 times less to run as compared to the various AI platforms, giving it a huge advantage, especially for companies and researchers looking for cheaper alternatives to high-cost AI systems. Given its expected impact, the survey asked users of AI platforms, “New platform DeepSeek out of China is providing advanced AI features free to consumers. Will you consider switching to such a platform from the existing ones you currently use?” Out of 15,753 AI platform users who responded 8% stated that they “have already switched”; 15% stated “yes, will switch unless other platforms also offer advanced features free”; 8% stated “yes, will switch regardless”; 38% stated “no, will not switch”; and 31% did not give clear answer. In essence, 3 in 10 Indian users of AI platforms have switched to DeepSeek or will soon do so.

In summary, the AI landscape is literally evolving each week, the fastest any technology the world has seen before. With so many platforms available now and many more platforms and wrapper apps likely to come up in 2025, very few users are likely to pay hefty subscriptions for AI platforms. While India is yet to have its own AI model, the survey finds that Indian internet users are actively using AI to find information with 1 in 2 surveyed already using AI platforms. Among the many options available, ChatGPT is the most widely used among those surveyed with 28% users using it however, many are already switching to the new platform DeepSeek or likely to soon. As far as the use cases go, 66% Indian AI users surveyed use AI to look for information while 25% also use it for summarizing documents. Only 9% are using it for writing or enhancing pictures and videos so far. Only 18% users surveyed reported that they find information generated by AI to be inaccurate while 36% found it to be high in accuracy. As far as the medium used, 90% said that they use text while just 10% indicated that they use voice for inputs. As AI becomes available in more languages and more users start using it from smaller towns and rural locations, this is bound to change. While at this time 3 in 10 AI users said they have a paid subscription for AI, with platforms like DeepSeek this is bound to change as 3 in 10 users in the survey expressed that they have switched to DeepSeek or are likely to do so soon.
With the fast-evolving technology landscape and user preferences, it is bound to be a challenge for Government in India to have rules and regulations around AI usage and ensure that AI continues to be a constructive and enabling force. LocalCircles will be seeking user inputs on the subject of AI regulation separately and escalate to the policymakers in the coming months.
Survey Demographics
The survey received over 92,000 responses from citizens located in 309 districts of India. 64% respondents were men while 36% respondents were women. 45% respondents were from tier 1, 31% from tier 2 and 24% respondents were from tier 3, 4, 5 and rural districts. The survey was conducted via LocalCircles platform and all participants were validated citizens who had to be registered with LocalCircles to participate in this survey.
About LocalCircles
LocalCircles, India’s leading Community Social Media platform enables citizens and small businesses to escalate issues for policy and enforcement interventions and enables Government to make policies that are citizen and small business centric. LocalCircles is also India’s # 1 pollster on issues of governance, public and consumer interest. More about LocalCircles can be found on https://www.localcircles.com
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