DeepSeek, the Chinese artificial intelligence chatbot, has emerged as the most downloaded mobile app across 140 markets, with India leading the charge by contributing 15.6% of all downloads since its launch. According to data from Appfigures, as reported by Bloomberg, this remarkable figure has propelled DeepSeek to become the number one Android app on the Google Play Store as of the week of January 28, 2025. Launched only 18 days earlier, DeepSeek has already amassed 16 million downloads, nearly double the rate of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which recorded 9 million downloads during the same timeframe.
Despite being officially available only in China, the United States, and Vietnam, DeepSeek's rapid adoption across global markets is impressive, especially considering it has achieved these numbers with minimal advertising. The app first reached the top of the Apple Inc. App Store on January 26, before securing the top ranking on the Google Play Store shortly after. This unprecedented success is eliciting reactions from global tech companies who now view DeepSeek as a formidable player within the AI market.
India, which has shown remarkable engagement with the DeepSeek app, aims to support this growth with its local efforts to bolster AI infrastructure. Recently, the founder of Krutrim, Bhavish Aggarwal, announced strides to host DeepSeek's open source models on Indian servers. "Krutrim has accelerated efforts to develop world-class AI. Our cloud now has DeepSeek models live, hosted on Indian servers. Pricing lowest in the world," Aggarwal said on X, showcasing Krutrim’s commitment to making AI technology accessible and affordable with starting prices at INR 10 per million tokens.
The Indian government is also moving to take advantage of this trend. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed plans to host DeepSeek locally as part of the country’s broader data localization initiatives aimed at addressing privacy concerns about cross-border data transfers. Vaishnaw emphasized, "This move aims to improve data security and compliance with Indian regulations," which highlights the growing importance of data sovereignty as new technologies emerge.
The enthusiasm surrounding DeepSeek is not without its challenges. There are growing concerns about security vulnerabilities associated with Chinese AI technologies. Reports suggest hundreds of companies and government agencies across different countries have blocked the AI assistant due to privacy and cybersecurity risks, raising alarm bells about potential data misuse.
Meanwhile, as DeepSeek garners popularity, OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, is reportedly pursuing new funding, with interests from Japan’s SoftBank, potentially making it the largest financial backer of the company as well. According to The Financial Times, this investment could push OpenAI’s total valuation to around $340 billion, highlighting the competitive dynamics within the AI sector as companies race to secure capital and market share.
With DeepSeek’s growing influence and the Indian government’s commitment to local data hosting, the conversation around AI is set to intensify. Experts anticipate this initiative could lead to the development of indigenous AI technologies, promoting innovation and economic growth within the country. India’s investment in AI infrastructure, supported by local collaborations for building indigenous graphics processing units (GPUs), signals the country’s ambition to not only adopt AI technologies but also contribute to their evolution.
Overall, the success of DeepSeek exemplifies the shifting tides within the AI industry, with India playing a pivotal role both as the largest market and as a developing hub for AI capabilities. The rapid download figures and strategic initiatives undertaken by the government and local companies reflect the increasing stakes within AI deployment, usage, and governance, paving the way for the future of artificial intelligence across the globe.