Guide
Which companies does AI recommend? AI visibility by industry
By The Venoh AI team · Last updated November 1, 2026
When a buyer asks AI for the best company in a category, most companies in that category are never mentioned. We tested 1,441 companies, mostly in India, on Perplexity with live web search in October 2026: 70% were not named in any answer to the plain buyer question for their own category. Here is how that splits by industry.
| Industry | Companies tested | Not named | Named most often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing agencies | 65 | 91% | Sercon India, iProspect India |
| HR and recruitment | 55 | 89% | ABC Consultants, Randstad India |
| Consulting | 39 | 82% | Accenture, FundTQ |
| Wealth and investing | 125 | 80% | Groww, Zerodha |
| IT services | 45 | 80% | Accenture, TCS |
| Education | 34 | 79% | NIIT, Bodhih |
| Fintech and payments | 46 | 74% | Cashfree Payments, Razorpay |
| Software and SaaS | 180 | 74% | InsuraCRM, Microsoft Power Automate |
| Manufacturing | 58 | 72% | Avaada, SRF |
| Healthcare and pharma | 104 | 69% | MediBuddy, Onsurity |
| Insurance | 210 | 67% | Marsh India, Prudent Insurance Brokers |
| Consumer brands and e-commerce | 71 | 63% | Amazon India, Wakefit |
| Banking and lending | 116 | 62% | HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank |
| Real estate | 35 | 57% | CBRE India, Cushman & Wakefield India |
- Marketing agencies are the least visible: 91% were not named for their own category.
- Financial services are concentrated: a handful of large banks, brokers and platforms take most answers (HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Groww, Zerodha, Marsh).
- Some industries have no leader yet: in consulting, education and consumer products the answers name different companies almost every time, so the field is open.
How we tested
Between 5 October and 1 November 2026 we asked Perplexity, through its API with live web search, two or three versions of the plain buyer question for each company's own category and market, such as "best insurance broker in India" or "top payroll software in India". Industries were grouped from each company's category. We publish totals and the names AI gave, not the companies that were left out. An earlier cut of this data is in our 835-company study.
Frequently asked questions
How many companies does AI recommend when a buyer asks for the best in a category?
Very few. In Venoh AI's October 2026 test of 1,441 companies, 70% were not named in any Perplexity answer to the plain buyer question for their own category.
Which industry is least visible in AI search?
In our test, marketing and advertising agencies: 91% were not named for their own category.
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