As the founder of SRKAY Consulting Group, I’ve spent my career anticipating market shifts. Our success helping global companies establish operations in India—via Virtual Captive and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) models—has been built on strategic foresight. But nothing prepared me for the quiet revolution brought by Generative AI: the transformation of how we search.
Like many, I was a loyal Google user for decades. But recently, I’ve found myself turning to ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity—not for novelty, but for real productivity. The results have been revealing.
A Seismic Shift in Search Behavior
Google still commands ~90% of the global search engine market. But under the radar, a new behavioral shift is underway. In early 2025:
- 71.5% of users reported using AI tools for search
- 60% of U.S. users preferred ChatGPT among AI chatbots
- 14% use AI-powered search daily—and the number is rising exponentially
Unlike Google’s index of SEO-optimized links, generative AI delivers conversational, synthesized, context-rich answers. You don't need precise keywords—just a thought.
For someone like me, constantly evaluating GCC markets and emerging tech, this shift was a game-changer.
A Personal Revelation
While brainstorming SRKAY's future positioning, I asked ChatGPT:
“Who are the top players in India for setting up Global Capability Centers?”
To my surprise—and satisfaction—it listed SRKAY Consulting Group.
This wasn’t about vanity. It showed how AI tools analyze diverse signals—case studies, outcomes, digital content—and transform them into real-time reputational intelligence.
What would have taken me hours of link-sifting with traditional search took seconds.
From Information to Action
The impact is immediate:
- Less time researching, more time executing
- Faster partner discovery without ad-heavy, SEO-hacked pages
Here’s how AI-powered search compares to traditional:
| Feature | Generative AI | Google (Traditional Search) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Conversational answers | List of links |
| Personalization | Learns from user context | Based on search history |
| Multi-step reasoning | Yes | Limited |
| Real-world synthesis | High | Low |
| Page visits needed | Often zero | Several |
It’s no wonder AI search users are projected to grow from 13 million in 2023 to 90 million by 2027.
What This Means for Businesses Like SRKAY
For us at SRKAY, this shift is already tangible:
- Organic traffic surge to high-value content
- Better intent alignment in inbound inquiries
- Clients now arrive pre-informed—sometimes quoting what ChatGPT has said about us
We're being found not through rankings, but through relevance and resonance. It’s a whole new discovery paradigm.
AI as the New Discovery Interface
Generative AI may not replace Google overnight, but it’s steadily augmenting and displacing traditional search, especially in:
- B2B discovery
- Technical research
- Strategic decision-making
Organizations that adapt early—by evolving their content, digital presence, and messaging for AI interfaces—will unlock significant competitive advantage.
As a founder constantly scanning the horizon, I believe:
Generative AI isn’t the future of search—it’s the new present.
And those who adapt early will help shape this new reality to their advantage.