What is Grok and why are Indians loving it? Here's all you need to know

In a tech landscape crowded with artificial intelligence chatbots competing for attention, Elon Musk's Grok, first released in 2023, has emerged as the surprising new darling of Indian internet users in 2025.

This comes after the much-anticipated release of X's (formerly Twitter) latest update of Grok last month, which has quickly captured the imagination of the country with its irreverent personality and distinctly human-like responses that feel refreshingly unbuttoned compared to its more sanitised competitors.

Developed by xAI, Musk's answer to OpenAI (which he helped found before a rather public falling out), Grok 3 represents the latest evolution in the company's AI offerings.

Running on xAI's formidable Colossus supercomputer, this latest iteration is reportedly ten times faster than its predecessor and has been boldly marketed by Musk as "scary smart".

What makes Grok particularly fascinating—or potentially concerning, depending on your perspective—is its tendency to mirror the tone and language patterns of users.

For Indian users, this approach has resulted in interactions that feel remarkably similar to casual conversations one might have with mates at the local chai stall, complete with cultural references and, controversially, occasional profanities.

Unlike ChatGPT's more measured corporate tone or Google Gemini's careful responses, Grok appears designed to challenge conventional norms.

This unfiltered, somewhat chaotic energy seems to have resonated with Indian users seeking an AI companion who feels less like a digital librarian and more like a slightly unhinged friend.

How Grok works and how to access it

In a move that has significantly boosted its adoption, Musk made Grok 3 freely available to anyone curious about "the smartest AI on earth," as he rather immodestly bills it. The free access rolled out mere days after the global unveiling. The free access is only available for a limited time. 

Even more notable is that Grok 3 comes equipped with DeepSearch and reasoning capabilities right from the start—features that often require premium subscriptions on other platforms. Additional features, such as a voice mode, are available to paying customers.

Towards the end of February, Musk announced a dedicated Grok app now available across iOS, Android, and Windows platforms. While the base app is free to use, certain premium features remain exclusive to paid X (formerly Twitter) subscribers.

Perhaps Grok's most ingenious integration is within the X platform itself. Users can access the AI in several ways: a dedicated Grok button appears next to posts, allowing users to discuss specific content; simply tagging @grok in a post prompts the AI to respond with relevant information, or users can directly interact with the AI through the standalone app.

While competitors such as Perplexity (@askperplexity) offer similar Twitter-integrated functionality, they haven't captured the Indian zeitgeist quite like Grok has.

India's enthusiastic adoption

Google Trends data shows enormous spikes in Grok-related searches across India over the past week, indicating a veritable explosion of interest. Indian users have been flooding X with screenshots of their Grok interactions, marvelling at responses that feel almost uncannily attuned to Indian conversational styles.

The AI's ability to adapt to colloquialisms and respond with appropriate cultural context has made it an instant hit.

Where other AI systems might politely demur or provide overly formal responses, Grok seems to revel in matching the energy of its Indian users—whether it's discussing cricket controversies, responding to political queries with a wink and a nudge, or engaging in the kind of playful banter that characterises many Indian friendship groups.

Part of Grok's appeal may be its willingness to engage with topics that other AI systems approach more cautiously. Its responses often come with a touch of sass that apparently resonates with younger Indian users.

Potential impact on publishers

The rise of Grok as a fact-checking tool poses significant challenges for traditional publishers and news outlets in India. As users increasingly turn to the AI for quick information rather than sifting through Google search results and news articles, publishers may find themselves facing a new paradigm in information consumption.

The traditional model—where users search for information and land on publisher websites—is being short-circuited by Grok's ability to synthesise and present information directly within the X platform. 

This convenient one-stop solution threatens to further erode the already dwindling traffic to news sites, potentially exacerbating the financial pressures facing journalism in the digital age.

For Indian publishers, who have already weathered significant disruption from social media and earlier AI tools, Grok represents yet another competitor for audience attention and advertising revenue.

In essence, the AI's integration into X essentially creates a walled garden where users can satisfy their information needs without ever leaving the platform.

Whether Grok's popularity represents a lasting shift in AI preferences or merely a honeymoon period remains to be seen.

For now, however, Musk's cheeky chatbot has found an enthusiastic audience in India, where users seem to appreciate an AI that's less concerned with perfect propriety and more interested in having a good exchange.