A Google study has found that 93% of Indian automobile buyers now turn to AI-powered experiences when researching vehicles, according to a report by The Times of India.

The figure is the headline result of the study, which examined how consumers in India's automotive market use AI tools — such as conversational assistants and AI-assisted search experiences — during the car-buying journey. The Times of India report carried the finding on November 12, 2024, though the full methodology, sample size and exact survey window were not disclosed in the publicly available summary of the study.

What is confirmed, and what is not

The confirmed element here is the study result itself: Google conducted the research, and the 93% figure refers to Indian auto buyers using AI experiences at some stage of their research process. That is a stated finding from the study as reported by The Times of India.

What remains open is the composition of that 93% — which AI experiences count toward the total, whether the figure covers AI Overviews specifically, chatbot interactions, or broader AI-driven recommendations within Google's products. The published summary does not break this down, so any claim about a specific product driving the number would be speculation. Treat granular attribution accordingly until Google publishes the full study.

Why the number matters for search

India is one of Google's largest and fastest-moving search markets, and automotive is a classic high-consideration, research-intensive vertical. A 93% adoption figure for AI-assisted research suggests that AI experiences have moved well past early adopters in this market and are now the default starting point for a majority of the purchase journey.

For automotive publishers, dealer groups and classifieds sites serving Indian users, the implication is direct: content that answers comparative, spec-level and pricing questions — the queries most likely to surface inside AI-generated answers — is now the primary battleground for visibility. Publishers that structured their content around conversational, question-and-answer formats are better positioned to be cited or summarized within AI experiences than those built around traditional listing pages.

The finding also carries weight for advertisers. If buyers conduct the bulk of their research inside AI experiences rather than classic blue links, ad formats and placement within those experiences — including AI Overviews shopping integrations — become the inventory that matters. Google has been expanding AI Overviews across markets, and India has been among the rollout's priority regions.

Vertical and site-type impact

Automotive is the vertical named in the study, but the pattern it documents — AI experiences absorbing the research phase of a considered purchase — is the same behavior Google has reported in other high-ticket categories. Dealer websites, OEM brand pages, review platforms and automotive classifieds all face the same structural question: whether they appear inside the AI-generated answer, or behind it.

The 93% figure does not mean 93% of buyers complete their purchase inside AI tools. Research behavior and transaction behavior remain distinct stages, and the study, as summarized, speaks to the former.

What to watch next

Watch for Google to release the full study with methodology and segmentation details — sample size, survey period, and a breakdown of which AI experiences drove the number. Also monitor how Google's AI Overviews and Gemini-powered shopping features evolve in India's automotive category, and whether comparable adoption figures emerge for other markets and verticals, which would indicate whether 93% is an India-specific outlier or the leading edge of a global pattern.