India's leading digital mapping company has publicly expressed interest in partnering with American AI search startup Perplexity, after the latter's chief executive acknowledged the complexities involved in creating accurate maps.

Mappls MapmyIndia responded to comments from Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas by highlighting three decades of experience building detailed geographical data across the subcontinent, suggesting the AI firm could benefit from its mapping infrastructure.

The Indian company, which has operated since 1995, claims to have achieved house-number-level precision across both urban and rural areas—a granularity it suggests international platforms struggle to match. MapmyIndia emphasised that such accuracy requires extensive ground-based data collection and continuous real-time updates, positioning maps as "essential national infrastructure" enabling governance, logistics, mobility and commerce.

The overture follows MapmyIndia's recent partnership with Indian software firm Zoho, part of a broader strategy to position itself as the geographical foundation layer for AI applications developed for the Indian market. The company suggested that integrating its locally developed geospatial data could enhance Perplexity's AI-powered search and enterprise offerings with richer contextual intelligence.

MapmyIndia frames the potential collaboration as part of its evolution from navigation provider to AI infrastructure platform. The firm reported that over 35 million users now rely on its Mappls navigation and mapping applications, with international expansion underway.

The company positions itself as a "swadeshi" solution—using the Hindi term meaning indigenous or native—designed specifically for Indian conditions whilst remaining scalable for global requirements.

Perplexity has not publicly responded to MapmyIndia's approach. The San Francisco-based startup, which offers an AI-powered alternative to traditional search engines, has attracted scrutiny over how it sources and attributes information, with some publishers alleging improper use of copyrighted content.

For MapmyIndia, the pitch represents an attempt to capitalise on growing demand for India-specific data as global technology companies seek to expand operations in the country. Accurate local mapping proves particularly valuable in India, where address systems can be informal, street names inconsistent, and infrastructure rapidly changing.

The company competes domestically with Google Maps whilst positioning its granular Indian coverage as a differentiator. International mapping platforms have historically struggled with comprehensive coverage outside major urban centres in developing markets, creating opportunities for local specialists with deeper data collection resources.

Whether Perplexity finds value in such a partnership depends partly on its strategic priorities. The AI search company might prioritise integrating existing major mapping platforms for global consistency, or could see advantage in locally optimised data for key growth markets like India.

MapmyIndia's public courtship also serves marketing purposes, reinforcing its positioning as India's mapping authority whilst associating itself with Perplexity's AI credentials—regardless of whether formal collaboration materialises.