India's AI-app market is becoming increasingly competitive, according to data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. While ChatGPT continues to dominate user engagement and spending, Google's Gemini is gaining ground and Claude is emerging as a fast-growing challenger. The figures cover the June quarter (Q2 2026) and offer a snapshot of momentum among major generative AI (GenAI) apps.
Claude: Sharpest Growth Among Major GenAI Apps
Claude recorded the sharpest growth among major GenAI apps during the June quarter, Sensor Tower reported. Its downloads in India surged over 30-fold year-on-year to 8.5 million in Q2 2026, while consumer spending jumped nearly 19-fold to about Rs 62.2 crore. The rapid acceleration is significant, given Claude's relatively small presence in India until recently.
"Claude stands out with more consistent momentum, with downloads and monthly active users accelerating since early 2026, making it an increasingly notable player despite its smaller user base," said Eve Chen, insights analyst at Sensor Tower.
ChatGPT Maintains Monetisation Lead
ChatGPT remains far ahead on monetisation, according to Sensor Tower. Consumer spending on the app stood at around Rs 112.8 crore during Q2, up 36% from a year earlier. Grok generated about Rs 20.4 crore, followed by Perplexity at Rs 5.8 crore and Gemini at Rs 1.8 crore.
Gemini: Stronger Challenger on Engagement
Google's Gemini is emerging as the stronger challenger on engagement, Sensor Tower data shows. Downloads more than doubled to 18.1 million, while its share of time spent across GenAI apps climbed sharply to 18.7% from 4.9% a year earlier.
Key Figures at a Glance
The table below summarises the consumer spending and download figures reported by Sensor Tower for Q2 2026 in India.
| App | Q2 2026 consumer spending (India) | Year-on-year change | Q2 2026 downloads (India) | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Rs 112.8 crore | +36% | Not stated | Not stated |
| Claude | Rs 62.2 crore | Nearly 19-fold increase | 8.5 million | Over 30-fold increase |
| Gemini | Rs 1.8 crore | Not stated | 18.1 million | More than doubled |
| Grok | Rs 20.4 crore | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Perplexity | Rs 5.8 crore | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Competitive Dynamics in India's AI App Race
The Sensor Tower data points to a widening competitive field. ChatGPT continues to lead on user spending, with Rs 112.8 crore in Q2 2026, up 36% from a year earlier. Grok and Perplexity trail at Rs 20.4 crore and Rs 5.8 crore, respectively. Gemini, despite lower consumer spending at Rs 1.8 crore, more than doubled its downloads to 18.1 million and sharply increased its share of time spent across GenAI apps to 18.7% from 4.9% a year earlier. Claude's 8.5 million downloads and Rs 62.2 crore in spending, driven by a small base, make it the fastest-growing major GenAI app in India during the quarter. India's AI-app race is getting more competitive, with these three platforms—ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude—showing distinct trajectories in engagement, downloads, and monetisation.
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