The Story Behind Comet
Let’s start with the man behind the magic. Aravind Srinivas, born in Chennai in 1994, is the kind of success story that makes every Indian parent beam with pride. After completing his dual degrees in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras, he moved to UC Berkeley for his PhD in computer science, worked at prestigious labs like OpenAI, Google Brain, and DeepMind, and then did something audacious—he decided to challenge Google.
In 2022, Srinivas co-founded Perplexity AI alongside Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski. What started as an AI-powered search engine quickly grew into something bigger. By July 2025, Perplexity had achieved an $18 billion valuation, processing over 780 million queries monthly. But Srinivas wasn’t content with just disrupting search—he wanted to revolutionize how we browse entirely.
Enter Comet, Perplexity’s AI-native browser launched in July 2025. Unlike traditional browsers that simply display websites, Comet is what tech experts call an “agentic browser”—it doesn’t just show you information, it understands, processes, and acts on it.
From IIT Madras to Silicon Valley Stardom
Srinivas’s journey reads like a tech thriller. His mother encouraged him to attend IIT Madras, where he initially felt out of place in electrical engineering while his heart was in computer science. But instead of switching streams, he taught himself Python and excelled in machine learning competitions. This determination would later fuel his vision to create something that could compete with the world’s biggest tech giants.
After his PhD at Berkeley and stints at top AI companies, Srinivas made the bold decision to leave OpenAI in 2022—just as ChatGPT was about to explode onto the scene—to build his own company. That leap of faith has now resulted in a $34.5 billion offer to buy Google Chrome, making headlines worldwide.
Why India Needs Its Own Search Engine Revolution
Now, you might wonder: “Why should Indians care about yet another browser?” The answer lies in understanding India’s unique digital landscape and the challenges we face in our rapidly growing internet ecosystem.
Data Sovereignty and Digital Independence
Here’s a startling fact: Google controls 96.87% of India’s search market. That means nearly every search query from India’s 886 million internet users goes through American servers, subject to foreign laws and surveillance. With rising geopolitical tensions and increasing concerns about data privacy, this dependency poses significant risks.
India has been pushing for digital sovereignty—the ability to control our own digital infrastructure and data. The government has implemented data localization laws requiring companies to store Indian users’ data within the country. However, when the search engine itself is foreign-controlled, these efforts only scratch the surface.
Local Language Accessibility Revolution
Here’s where things get really interesting. 98% of Indian internet users access content in Indic languages. Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam have emerged as the most popular languages online, while 57% of urban users prefer regional language content.
Yet, most global search engines still struggle with the nuances of Indian languages. Try searching for “बिरयानी रेसिपी” (biryani recipe) or “தமிழ் திரைப்படம்” (Tamil movie) on Google, and you’ll understand the gap. Indian languages aren’t just different words—they carry cultural contexts, local references, and nuanced meanings that global algorithms often miss.
Supporting India’s Digital Economy
India’s startup ecosystem has exploded to become the world’s third-largest, with over 140,000 recognized startups and 111 unicorns. However, most of these companies still depend on foreign platforms for visibility. An Indian search engine could prioritize local businesses, support regional e-commerce, and help small businesses compete with global giants.
Consider this: when someone in Kochi searches for “best seafood restaurant,” shouldn’t the results understand local preferences, festival seasons, and cultural nuances better than a global algorithm trained primarily on Western data?
Comet vs Google vs Bing: The Browser Battle Royale
Let’s dive into how Comet stacks up against the established players. Think of this as the ultimate browser comparison you’d have with your tech-savvy friend over coffee.
User Interface: Simplicity Meets Intelligence
Google Chrome gives you the familiar, minimalist interface we all know. Type, search, click, repeat. It’s reliable, fast, and… well, predictable.
Microsoft Bing tries to jazz things up with daily wallpapers and integrated AI features, but often feels like Chrome’s cousin trying too hard at family gatherings.
Comet throws the rulebook out the window. Instead of just showing search results, it presents AI-generated answers with citations. Imagine asking “What’s the best time to visit Kerala?” and getting not just links, but a comprehensive answer about monsoons, festivals, and tourist seasons—with sources you can verify.
Search Speed and Accuracy
This is where Comet’s agentic AI shines. Traditional search engines retrieve information; Comet understands context and provides solutions.
For instance, if you’re planning a trip from Mumbai to Goa:
Chrome/Google would show you flight booking sites, hotel websites, and travel blogs
Comet can actually book your tickets, suggest itineraries based on your preferences, and even send calendar invites—all within the browser
Local Content Prioritization
Here’s where the India angle becomes crucial. While Google’s algorithm favors globally popular content, an AI system trained on Indian data could prioritize:
Regional news sources during local events
Vernacular content that matches your language preferences
Local business listings that understand Indian commerce patterns
Cultural context that global algorithms might miss
Monetization and User Experience
Google Chrome’s business model revolves around data collection and advertising revenue. Every search, every click, every moment you spend browsing feeds their advertising machine.
Comet takes a different approach with hyper-personalized ads. Instead of generic ads, it learns your preferences to show relevant content. This sounds great in theory, but raises important privacy questions—a trade-off between convenience and data protection that users must consider carefully.
Unique Features That Set Comet Apart
AI Integration That Actually Works
Comet isn’t just Chrome with an AI chatbot slapped on. It’s built from the ground up with multiple language models including GPT-4o, Claude 4.0 Sonnet, and Perplexity’s own Sonar model. This means:
Real-time summarization of long articles and videos
Multi-tab awareness that connects information across your browsing session
Task automation that can handle complex, multi-step processes
Multilingual Capabilities
While global browsers treat Indian languages as an afterthought, Comet’s architecture supports seamless multilingual interactions. You could ask a question in Hindi and get results in English, or vice versa, with proper cultural context maintained.
Local Business Integration
Early partnerships hint at exciting possibilities. Perplexity has already partnered with Bharti Airtel to provide free access to 360 million Indian users. There are also discussions about integration with platforms like Zerodha for stock market data.
Privacy-First Approach
Unlike traditional browsers that track everything, Comet promises transparent data usage with clear citations for every piece of information. Users can see exactly where their answers come from and how their data is being used.
Challenges Comet Will Face in India
The Google Goliath Problem
Let’s be honest—Google’s dominance in India is staggering. With 96.87% market share across all devices and 98.5% on mobile, Google isn’t just a search engine; it’s become synonymous with internet access itself. Most Indians literally say “Google it” instead of “search for it.”
Breaking this habit requires more than just better technology—it needs a fundamental shift in user behavior. Remember how difficult it was for people to switch from Internet Explorer to Chrome? Now imagine that challenge multiplied by a billion users.
Building Trust and Adoption
Indian users are naturally skeptical of new platforms, especially when it involves sensitive data like search history and personal preferences. Comet faces the classic chicken-and-egg problem:
Users want comprehensive results, which require vast databases
Building those databases requires millions of users
Getting those users requires proving the platform works better than Google
Infrastructure and Scaling Challenges
India’s internet infrastructure varies dramatically between cities and rural areas. While urban centers enjoy high-speed connectivity, rural areas still struggle with basic internet access. Comet’s AI-heavy features require significant bandwidth and processing power—a challenge when 665 million Indians still lack internet access.
The browser must be optimized for:
Low-bandwidth connections in rural areas
Affordable smartphones with limited processing power
Intermittent connectivity that affects real-time AI features
Monetization Without Alienating Users
Perplexity’s current model charges $200 per month for Comet access—roughly ₹17,000, which is more than many Indians’ monthly salary. While the company promises broader access, finding a sustainable business model that works for Indian price points remains a massive challenge.
The company must balance:
Revenue generation through advertising or subscriptions
User privacy concerns about data monetization
Affordability for price-sensitive Indian markets
Local competition from free alternatives
The Future of Search in India
AI-Powered Personalized Search
The future isn’t just about finding information—it’s about information finding you. Imagine a search experience that:
Knows you’re planning a wedding and proactively suggests vendors
Understands your commute patterns and alerts you to traffic before you even ask
Learns your food preferences and suggests restaurants based on your mood and location
Voice and Visual Search in Regional Languages
With over 46% of internet users preferring Indic languages, the future of search in India is inherently multilingual. Voice search is particularly crucial in a country where literacy rates vary significantly across regions.
Comet’s AI models are being trained to understand:
Regional accents and pronunciations
Code-switching between languages (like mixing Hindi and English)
Cultural context that affects search intent
Visual recognition for local landmarks and products
The Rise of Indigenous Digital Ecosystems
India’s push for digital self-reliance extends beyond just search engines. The government has announced initiatives for:
Indigenous web browsers with ₹1 crore prizes for winners
Local operating systems as alternatives to Android and iOS
Regional language keyboards and input methods
Homegrown AI models trained on Indian data sets
Integration with India’s Digital Infrastructure
The future search experience will likely integrate with:
UPI and digital payments for instant transactions
Aadhaar verification for secure, personalized services
Government services through Digital India initiatives
Local commerce platforms for seamless shopping experiences
Conclusion: India’s Digital Destiny
The story of Comet isn’t just about one browser or one company—it’s about India’s transformation from a technology consumer to a technology creator. Whether Comet succeeds or fails, it represents something bigger: the ambition of Indian entrepreneurs to build world-class products that can compete with Silicon Valley giants.
Aravind Srinivas’s journey from IIT Madras to challenging Google demonstrates that Indian talent can lead global innovation, not just execute others’ visions. His $34.5 billion offer for Chrome might seem audacious, but it signals a new era where Indian companies are thinking beyond domestic markets.
For India’s tech industry, Comet represents a crucial inflection point. Success here could inspire a generation of entrepreneurs to build indigenous alternatives to global platforms. It could demonstrate that understanding local needs—from language preferences to cultural contexts—creates competitive advantages that even the biggest tech giants struggle to replicate.
The bigger question isn’t whether Comet will replace Google tomorrow. It’s whether India is ready to invest in its digital sovereignty and support homegrown alternatives that understand our unique needs, respect our data, and prioritize our interests.
As we stand at the crossroads of India’s digital future, one thing is clear: the search for better search is just beginning, and Indian innovators are leading the charge.
Frequently Asked Questions About Comet Search Engine
What exactly is Comet search engine?
Comet is an innovative AI-powered browser developed by Perplexity AI that revolutionizes how we search and browse the internet. Think of it as your traditional browser’s super-smart cousin who not only finds information but actually understands it, processes it, and can even act on it for you.
Unlike Google Chrome that simply displays websites, Comet provides direct AI-generated answers with citations instead of just links. It’s built on the Chromium framework but integrates multiple AI models including GPT-4o, Claude 4.0 Sonnet, and Perplexity’s own Sonar model. This means when you ask “What’s the weather like in Mumbai?” you get a comprehensive answer about current conditions, forecasts, and even suggestions for activities—not just links to weather websites.
Who is the founder of Comet and what’s his Indian connection?
Aravind Srinivas, the brilliant mind behind Comet, is a Chennai-born engineer who’s making every Indian parent proud. Born in 1994, he completed his dual degrees in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras before pursuing a PhD in computer science at UC Berkeley.
His journey reads like a tech thriller: after working at prestigious institutions like OpenAI, Google Brain, and DeepMind, he co-founded Perplexity AI in 2022. What makes his story particularly inspiring is that he left OpenAI just before ChatGPT launched—a bold move that has now resulted in building a company valued at $18 billion. His recent $34.5 billion offer to buy Google Chrome has made global headlines, showing how Indian talent is challenging Silicon Valley giants.
How does Comet plan to compete with Google’s search dominance?
Comet’s strategy is fascinating—instead of trying to beat Google at its own game, it’s changing the rules entirely. While Google gives you links to websites, Comet provides direct, AI-generated answers with complete source citations. It’s like having a research assistant who not only finds information but also analyzes it, summarizes it, and presents it in an easily digestible format.
Here’s what makes Comet different: it’s an “agentic browser” that can actually perform tasks for you. Planning a trip? Comet can book tickets, suggest itineraries, and send calendar invites. Need to research a topic? It can summarize multiple sources and present a comprehensive analysis. Google shows you the ocean of information; Comet filters it into exactly what you need.
The company is also leveraging strategic partnerships—like the deal with Bharti Airtel providing free access to 360 million Indian users—to build market share.
Is Comet available on mobile devices in India?
Currently, Comet is available on Windows and Mac desktop systems, with mobile versions expected in the future. The availability situation is a bit complex right now—Comet is primarily accessible through Perplexity Max subscription at $200 per month (roughly ₹17,000), which is obviously not accessible for most Indian users.
However, there’s good news for Indian users: Perplexity has partnered with Bharti Airtel to provide free Perplexity Pro access to millions of Indian subscribers. While this doesn’t include Comet access yet, it indicates the company’s serious commitment to the Indian market. There’s also a waitlist system where users can sign up for future access, and the company plans to expand availability to free users gradually.
Does Comet support Indian regional languages?
Yes, Comet supports multiple Indian languages, and this is where things get really interesting for Indian users. The browser leverages Perplexity’s AI models that have been trained on multilingual datasets, allowing for seamless switching between languages and understanding cultural context.
What sets Comet apart is its ability to handle code-switching—that natural way Indians mix English with Hindi or other regional languages in daily conversation. So you could ask “Mumbai mein best biryani kahan milegi?” and get contextually appropriate answers that understand both the language and the cultural reference.
The browser’s AI can also translate and localize content in real-time, making global information accessible in your preferred language. However, the true test will be how well it handles regional nuances, local cultural references, and the complexity of India’s 22 official languages.
How does Comet handle user privacy compared to Google?
Comet takes a fundamentally different approach to privacy—transparency over secrecy. While Google’s business model depends on collecting and monetizing user data for advertising, Comet promises clear citations for every piece of information and transparent data usage policies.
Here’s the trade-off: Comet uses what they call “hyper-personalized ads” based on your browsing behavior, but they claim to show you exactly how this data is used. The browser tracks your interactions to provide better AI responses, but unlike Google’s black-box algorithms, you can see the sources and reasoning behind every answer.
However, privacy advocates raise valid concerns about AI-powered tracking. Comet’s AI needs extensive data to function effectively, which means it potentially knows more about your preferences and behavior than traditional browsers. The key difference is transparency—you can see what data is collected and how it’s used, unlike Google’s complex, often opaque privacy policies.
Can Indian businesses list themselves on Comet for free?
This is where Comet’s business model gets interesting—and potentially revolutionary for Indian businesses. Unlike Google’s complex and often expensive advertising system, Comet’s AI-powered approach could democratize business visibility.
Currently, Comet doesn’t have a traditional “business listing” system like Google My Business. Instead, its AI searches the entire web and presents the most relevant information based on user queries. This means businesses can potentially get visibility simply by having good online content without paying for ads.
However, early partnerships hint at exciting possibilities. The rumored integration with platforms like Zerodha for stock market data suggests that Comet might develop industry-specific partnerships that could benefit Indian businesses. The AI’s ability to understand context could also mean better visibility for local businesses when users search for relevant services.
Is Comet faster than Google for search results?
Speed in Comet isn’t just about how quickly results appear—it’s about how quickly you get usable answers. Traditional Google searches often require multiple clicks, tab-switching, and information gathering from various sources. Comet aims to eliminate this friction by providing comprehensive answers immediately.
For example, if you search “best smartphone under ₹30,000,” Google gives you links to review sites, e-commerce platforms, and tech blogs. Comet processes all this information and presents a synthesized comparison with pros, cons, and recommendations—potentially saving 10-15 minutes of research time.
However, this comes with trade-offs. Comet’s AI processing requires more computational power and bandwidth than simple link retrieval. On slower internet connections common in rural India, this could actually make the experience slower initially.
The real speed advantage comes from reduced cognitive load. Instead of processing information from multiple sources, users get pre-analyzed, contextualized answers that help them make decisions faster.
What AI features make Comet special for Indian users?
Comet is fundamentally built around AI—it’s not AI features added to a browser, but a browser built for AI. The platform integrates multiple cutting-edge AI models including GPT-4o, Claude 4.0 Sonnet, and Perplexity’s proprietary Sonar model to create what they call an “agentic” browsing experience.
Here’s what makes Comet’s AI special for Indian users:
Multi-modal Understanding: It can process text, images, and soon video/audio content to provide comprehensive answers.
Context Awareness: Unlike traditional search, Comet remembers your previous queries and builds on them for more relevant results.
Task Automation: The AI can actually perform actions like booking tickets, sending emails, or creating calendar events based on your requests.
Real-time Analysis: Instead of static search results, Comet provides dynamic, up-to-date information synthesized from multiple current sources.
Cultural Context: This is crucial for Indian users—the AI understands local references, cultural nuances, and regional preferences that global search engines often miss.
How can Indian users try Comet today?
Getting access to Comet right now requires some patience and planning, but there are several pathways for interested Indian users.
Current Access Methods:
Perplexity Max Subscription: Direct access for $200/month (₹17,000) – expensive but immediate
Waitlist Registration: Free signup at the official Perplexity website for future access
Invite System: Current users can invite others, creating opportunities for early access
System Requirements:
Windows or Mac desktop/laptop (mobile versions coming later)
Stable internet connection for AI processing
Modern hardware capable of running Chromium-based browsers
For Indian Users Specifically:
Airtel Partnership: Keep an eye on Bharti Airtel announcements for potential free access
Gradual Rollout: The company plans to expand access to Pro users (₹1,700/month) before full public release
Getting Ready:
Even if you can’t access Comet immediately, you can prepare by:
Trying Perplexity’s regular search engine to understand the AI approach
Joining the waitlist early for priority access
Following Aravind Srinivas on social media for updates on Indian availability
The company has indicated that broader access is coming, especially given their commitment to the Indian market through partnerships and the founder’s personal connection to India.
