Twenty-seven per cent of respondents use AI tools as the starting point for a search, while 36 per cent use AI after using other forms of search, a survey by YouGov showed.
It surveyed 1,004 Indian adults aged 18 and above.
The survey said that, among AI users, the leading use cases include directly answering questions, verifying information from other sources, summarising information and comparing options.
AI also enjoys a high level of trust among Indian users, ahead of marketplaces, news websites, video platforms, online communities and social media.
“The bigger question is how that trust becomes durable enough for AI to play a more central role in the search journey. Consumers still rely on multiple sources, official websites, source links and other signals to decide whether information is credible. The future of search in India may therefore be less a battle between links and answers than a race to deliver both: fast, useful responses backed by visible proof,” said Edward Hutasoit, general manager, YouGov India & Indonesia.