An Indian startup, Puch AI, is making waves by positioning itself as a competitor to global players like ChatGPT and Grok. And it's doing so with a bold play: leveraging what is reputedly India’s most expensive mobile number—9090909090, active on WhatsApp—to draw attention, onboard users, and woo investors. This novel approach underscores the company’s ambition to redefine accessibility and presence in the AI space.

Why India Needs Its Own AI

Co-founder Siddharth Bhatia asserts that while India has largely relied on AI tools from abroad—and often got responses out of sync with local context—it’s time for a sovereign AI purpose-built for India. His argument: current models fall short when it comes to local languages, customs, and cultural nuances.

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WhatsApp as the AI Front Door

Familiar Platform, Wider Reach
In a recent update on X, Bhatia painted a vision where WhatsApp becomes the mass gateway to AI in India. Given WhatsApp's ubiquity across the nation, it makes for a familiar and accessible platform for billions.

Why did we buy India’s most expensive number?
Because India deserves its own AI.

Sovereign AI is a bigger priority than even nuclear energy in ways we can’t yet imagine. China is already releasing powerful open-source models, but every single one of them calls Arunachal Pradesh… pic.twitter.com/qqZ2pNZeZs

— Siddharth Bhatia (@siddharthb_) September 2, 2025

Multimodal Experience
Puch AI isn’t stopping at messaging. It is rolling out voice-based interactions and even phone-call integration, all offered at no cost—at least initially. This broad offering reflects their ambition, although how they'll monetise it down the line remains an open question.

Nearly a Million Users Already

According to Bhatia, Puch AI has already amassed nearly one million users across India. Notably, about 60% of these are engaging with AI for the first time—and in their native languages. That engagement marks a potential shift toward deeply localised AI usage among new users.

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Standing Out in an AI Landscape

While WhatsApp has already been used as a channel for AI chatbots—such as Meta’s implementation of ChatGPT—Puch AI is placing strong emphasis on voice-first experiences and creative outputs like Studio Ghibli-style stickers, differentiating its offering from others. Though it positions itself as an Indian challenger to big names in AI, Puch AI signals openness to working alongside Silicon Valley giants. Bhatia sees potential for distribution and scale via global platforms while maintaining a contextual, India-centric edge.

Why It Matters

India's AI scene is dominated by foreign tools that often miss local context. If Puch AI succeeds, it could herald a new era of homegrown, culturally attuned artificial intelligence, introducing millions to AI in their own language and cultural framework. This initiative could be a significant stride toward India’s own AI identity.