Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity has made a headline-grabbing proposal to buy Google’s Chrome browser outright. According to Bloomberg, the Aravind Srinivas-led company has offered a staggering $34.5 billion (around Rs. 3.02 lakh crore) to acquire the world’s most popular web browser—a bid that actually exceeds Perplexity’s own market valuation.

The timing of this audacious move is striking, coming amid ongoing antitrust battles against Google’s parent company, Alphabet, which has faced accusations of maintaining a search monopoly and pressure to divest certain assets.

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Funding the Unthinkable

Perplexity reportedly plans to bankroll the deal through external investors. Dmitry Shevelenko, the company’s Chief Business Officer, confirmed to Bloomberg that “multiple large investment funds have agreed to finance the transaction in full.” The AI firm, which was last valued at $18 billion (about Rs. 1.57 lakh crore) after a $100 million (Rs. 875 crore) funding round in July, is clearly betting big on reshaping the browser market.

Promises of Openness and Stability

In a statement, Perplexity appeared to confirm its intentions, assuring that if the deal goes through, Chrome’s core engine — Chromium — will remain open source. The company also pledged continued investments of around $3 billion (Rs. 0.26 lakh crore) to enhance the browser. Interestingly, Perplexity has vowed not to disrupt user experience by altering search defaults. Even under its ownership, Google would remain the default search engine on Chrome, rather than being replaced by Perplexity’s AI-powered search.

Google’s Silence Amid Antitrust Scrutiny

It’s still unclear whether Google is even considering the offer. The tech giant is already under the microscope in the United States, with the Department of Justice alleging that it engaged in anti-competitive agreements – including paying Apple more than $15 billion annually – to secure its search engine’s position as the default on Apple devices. Whether this bold offer from Perplexity is a serious acquisition attempt or a strategic publicity move, it has certainly added a dramatic twist to the ongoing debate over Big Tech dominance.