The India AI Visibility Index — July 2026 Preview

This is the first edition of the India AI Visibility Index, a monthly measurement of how Gemini (and, from August, ChatGPT + Claude + Perplexity) actually answer high-intent questions in India's biggest categories.

Every number in the ranking below is one click away from the raw scan that produced it. Every response text is verbatim from Gemini. Nothing is smoothed, averaged across platforms, or scored by another LLM. You can reproduce any single line yourself in 30 seconds by pasting the prompt into Gemini and reading the answer.

The headline: Zoho dominates SaaS. Byju's doesn't exist.

The single most striking result of this edition is the gap between #1 Zoho and #6 Byju's.

For both prompts we tested Zoho against, “Best CRM for Indian SMBs in 2026” and “Cheapest business email hosting for startups”, Gemini named Zoho positively. On the second query it named Zoho first, ahead of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. That's a 100% mention rate at position #1in a category where Google and Microsoft are the incumbent giants. It's the strongest result in the Index.

For the two Byju's prompts, “Best edtech app for CBSE class 10” and “Best JEE preparation online in India”, Gemini did not name Byju's once. Not in the top ten. Not in the also-rans. Not at all. India's best-funded EdTech company, once valued at $22B, is invisible to the AI answer layer for the exact queries its future customers are asking.

That's not a rendering issue or a caching problem. Try it yourself: open Gemini, paste the prompt, read the answer. The Index simply surfaces what any prospective buyer would see.

Fintech: strong presence, positional gap

Zerodha and Razorpay are both categorized as Strong, 100% and 67% mention rates respectively, but there's a meaningful difference in how Gemini positions them within its answers.

• Zerodha
  Named for both stockbroker queries but at position #5.5 average, usually the fifth or sixth name in the list. Present but not top-of-mind.
• Razorpay
  Named for 2 of 3 payments-adjacent queries, average position #2. When Gemini talks about Indian payment gateways, Razorpay is one of the first names it reaches for.

Position matters more than most brands assume. The AI answer isn't a SERP, users don't scroll past position #3. Being named at all is table stakes; being named earlyis the actual win. Razorpay is closer to winning than Zerodha, despite Zerodha's higher mention rate.

D2C: BoAt strong, Mamaearth contested

BoAt scores Strong (67% mention, position #2.5), Mamaearth scores Contested (50% mention, position #1 when mentioned). Interesting split: when Gemini mentions Mamaearth, itleadswith it, but it only mentions Mamaearth half the time for the tested category queries. That's a coverage problem, not a positioning one.

A note on methodology

This preview edition is Gemini-only. It samples 2 prompts per brand, selected as category-representative Indian intent queries. Verdict tiers use strict thresholds (Dominant ≥ 90% + pos ≤ 2, Strong ≥ 60%, Contested ≥ 1%, Invisible = 0%). No smoothing, no LLM-as-judge, no averaging across platforms. The full formula sheet lives at aelohq.com/methodology.

The August edition will be bigger.Four platforms (ChatGPT + Claude + Perplexity + Gemini), 30–50 brands, 4–6 prompts per brand. We'll publish it on the first Monday of August alongside a full-length analysis in this same format.

How to be included in the August edition

Two paths:

• Apply publiclyNominate your brand (or one you follow) via the India Index inclusion form. Featured brands get a free month of Aelo Command to see per-prompt gaps.
• Sign up as an Aelo customerEvery Command workspace is automatically eligible for the Index in its own category. Radar tier costs less than a lunch. See pricing.