Tech3 | Perplexity brings AI search to Paytm; Centre steps in over Infosys layoffs; and more

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In today’s newsletter:

• Perplexity brings AI search to Paytm
• Centre steps in over Infosys layoffs
• Karnataka’s big push for esports

Perplexity brings AI search to Paytm

Ever wished your wallet could give you financial advice? Well, Paytm just took a giant leap into the future!

Driving the news: Payments major Paytm has teamed up with California-based Perplexity AI to bring an AI-powered search to its app, aiming to help users make smarter financial decisions.

• The options will allow users to ask questions, explore topics in local languages, and get AI-driven insights

New financial tools are in the works to assess purchases, evaluate investments, and analyse expenses before making payments.

“The partnership is about adding AI-first features that can become profit drivers in a year or two,” Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma said.

Also read: AI-based products can become Paytm's profit drivers in a year or two: Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Building use cases: Paytm has bigger AI plans beyond search.

• It’s building AI-powered tools to help users track spending, manage investments, and optimise portfolios

• Perplexity’s AI shopping feature may also connect with Paytm’s payment system

Some features are in beta, with a 2.0 version coming soon.

Localisation push: Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas sees AI as key to India’s global competitiveness but says more work is needed.

• India needs its own AI models to match OpenAI and China’s DeepSeek, he said

Perplexity is exploring localised pricing and payment options beyond its $20/month plan, with potential Paytm UPI integration in the future.

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