Google is rolling out its AI Mode in Search to all users in India, marking a significant step in the evolution of how people seek information online. According to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the company is launching the AI Mode to everyone in India after witnessing an “incredible response in Labs". This makes India the first country outside the United States to receive such wide access to the feature.
AI Mode, which was initially introduced as an experiment in Labs in India in June 2025, is Google's attempt to counter rivals like Perplexity and OpenAI's ChatGPT in the AI-powered information retrieval space. The feature is powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.5 and is designed to provide more comprehensive and intuitive search results.
With AI Mode, users can ask longer, more complex, and nuanced questions that would have previously required multiple searches. At Google I/O 2025 in May, Sundar Pichai mentioned that early testers of the AI Mode often asked queries that were two to three times longer, and sometimes even up to five times the length of traditional searches. The system employs a "query fan-out" technique, which breaks down complex questions into subtopics and processes multiple queries simultaneously. The results are then compiled into a single, easy-to-understand response.
In the coming days, users will see a new "AI Mode" tab in Search and in the search bar of the Google app. This tab will be available in English initially. All the features from the Labs launch will be available, allowing users to type, use voice, or even use a photo with Lens to get a rich, comprehensive response with helpful links. They can also dig deeper with follow-up questions.
Hema Budaraju, Vice President of Product Management, Search, noted that the response to the AI Mode experiment in India has been encouraging, with users appreciating its speed and the quality of the responses. She stated that users have been using it in diverse ways, from diving deep into topics for learning to understanding complex how-to guides.
Pichai has called AI Overviews one of the most successful launches in Search in the past decade. Since its launch last year, AI Overviews have scaled to over 1.5 billion users and are now available in 200 countries and territories. He noted that AI Overviews are driving over 10% growth in the types of queries that show them, and this growth increases over time.
Google's AI Mode is not just about providing information; it's about delivering intelligence. The feature builds upon AI Overviews, introduced in 2024, by creating a dedicated space for exploratory and complex queries that mimic human conversation. According to Elizabeth Reid, VP and Head of Search at Google, this is the future of Google Search—a search that goes beyond information to intelligence. She also confirmed that many AI Mode features will become standard within core Google Search over time.
With the launch of AI Mode in India, Google is expanding access to its most advanced AI-powered search experience for a wider audience. The company aims to provide a more intuitive and enriched search experience, integrating AI tools directly into the user's everyday queries, from simple facts to more layered research and how-to guides.
