Research · September 2026
AI Shelf Index: which brands ChatGPT and Gemini recommend in India
We asked AI the questions Indian buyers ask before they buy, in English, Hinglish and Hindi, and counted which brands the answers recommended. Here's what we found.
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1. Gemini's most recommended brand in each category
Share of Gemini's answers in each category that mention the brand.
| Category | #1 | #2 | #3 | Brands named |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beauty & personal care | Minimalist 71% | The Derma Co 41% | Cetaphil 29% | 95 |
| Business software | Zoho 53% | Shopify 39% | WooCommerce 36% | 103 |
| Fintech & insurance | SBI 41% | Axis Bank 30% | ICICI Bank 29% | 75 |
| Education | Unacademy 43% | Physics Wallah 42% | Coursera 19% | 71 |
| Consumer electronics | Samsung 59% | Apple 37% | Nothing 34% | 44 |
| Travel & hotels | MakeMyTrip 58% | Thomas Cook 28% | Goibibo 24% | 71 |
| Health & wellness | Tata 1mg 29% | Apollo 27% | MuscleBlaze 24% | 74 |
| Home & appliances | LG 31% | Bosch 26% | Wakefit 18% | 66 |
Indian brands made up most mentions in every category except consumer electronics, where global brands dominated. Across all categories, 7 in 10 brands that Gemini named (420 of 599) appeared in under 10% of its answers.
2. ChatGPT is far pickier than Gemini
| ChatGPT | Gemini | |
|---|---|---|
| Brands named per beauty answer | 1.7 | 6.7 |
| Brands named per software answer | 3.6 | 7.9 |
| The Derma Co (beauty) | 10% | 41% |
| Shopify (software) | 17% | 39% |
Being on Gemini's list is common. Getting onto ChatGPT's short list is the real race, and many brands that look healthy on Gemini are rarely named by ChatGPT.
3. The same question in Hindi can get a different answer
Most top brands were the same in every language. But for some questions, the brand named first changed. In each case below, the same brand was named first in all three answers in that language.
| Question (Gemini) | Named first in English | Named first in Hindi |
|---|---|---|
| Best GST accounting software | Zoho | TallyPrime |
| Best app for UPSC preparation | Vision IAS | Drishti IAS |
| Best laptop for students | Lenovo | Apple |
| Best app to book hotels | MakeMyTrip | Booking.com |
| Best moisturiser for dry skin | Bioderma | Cetaphil |
4. Where AI gets its information
- ChatGPT, beauty: expert sources such as the American Academy of Dermatology ranked first, followed by brands' own websites. Marketplaces ranked much lower.
- ChatGPT, software: mostly brands' own websites.
- Gemini: searched the web in about 20% of answers overall, and far more often for electronics (72%) and home appliances (39%). When it searched, YouTube was the top source in electronics, home and health.
What this means for brands: your own website and YouTube reviews shape AI answers more than marketplace listings. Our guide to getting recommended by ChatGPT turns these findings into steps.
Method and limits
- Google Gemini with Google Search available, all 8 categories. ChatGPT with web search on, beauty and business software.
- Each question asked 3 times per AI; percentages are shares of answers that mention a brand.
- APIs aren't identical to the consumer apps, and 3 answers per question is a sample: numbers will move month to month.
- Brands are detected from about 750 names and spellings, reviewed after each run.
Frequently asked questions
What is the AI Shelf Index?
The AI Shelf Index is AnswerShelf's monthly study of which brands AI assistants recommend when Indian buyers ask what to buy, across 8 categories, in English, Hinglish and Hindi.
How is AI shelf share calculated?
AI shelf share is the percentage of AI answers in a category that mention a brand. Each buyer question is asked several times, and every answer is checked for about 750 brand names and spellings.
Can I use this data?
Yes, with credit. Please cite it as: AnswerShelf AI Shelf Index, September 2026, with a link to answershelf.si/ai-shelf-index.
Cite this research: AnswerShelf AI Shelf Index, September 2026. https://www.answershelf.si/ai-shelf-index
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Check my brand free →Last updated: 6 October 2026 · By the AnswerShelf research team