Perplexity Raises $75 Million to Build India-Specific AI Search Infrastructure

AI answer engine Perplexity has raised a $75 million strategic round from Reliance Jio, Peak XV and IVP to build sovereign India infrastructure, launch Hindi voice search and integrate with Jio ecosystem.
Key Facts
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Deal size | $75 M |
| Valuation | $18 |
| Headquarters | Bengaluru, India |
| Sector | Perplexity |
| Coverage | Startup Funding |
AI-powered answer engine Perplexity announced a $75 million strategic round on June 30, 2026 to accelerate its India expansion, with Reliance Jio Platforms joining as a strategic investor alongside Peak XV Partners and IVP.
Round Details
What the Money Buys
Why It Matters
The round mirrors OpenAI's Microsoft alignment: Perplexity gets India distribution through Jio's 480M subscriber base, and Jio gets a differentiated AI layer to compete with Airtel-Google and Vi-Meta partnerships. It also puts pressure on Sarvam AI and Krutrim to accelerate India LLM deployment.
Reported by Rohit Menon. Spotted an error in this story? Request a correction or email corrections@startupory.com. See our editorial policy.
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