Airtel Offers Free Perplexity Pro, In a landmark move set to redefine the Indian AI landscape, Bharti Airtel has announced a strategic partnership with the US-based artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI. Through this initiative, Airtel’s 360 million users across mobile, broadband, and DTH platforms will receive a free one-year subscription to Perplexity Pro, a premium AI-powered search and knowledge assistant, retailing at ₹17,000.
This partnership, blending telecommunications with generative AI, is being seen as a pivotal moment in India’s digital evolution, particularly in democratizing access to high-end AI tools.
What Is Perplexity Pro?
Perplexity AI has grown rapidly in the global AI race, positioning itself as an advanced alternative to traditional search engines. Unlike conventional search engines that return a list of links, Perplexity delivers direct, cited answers, with access to multiple Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT-4.1, Claude, and Gemini 2.5 Pro.
Perplexity Pro also includes features like:
- 300 daily Pro searches
- Image generation tools
- File upload and analysis
- Real-time internet browsing
- Perplexity Labs (for power users)
- Enhanced data privacy
Previously, these tools were locked behind a paywall—until Airtel brought them mainstream in India.
How to Access It?
Airtel users can activate the subscription through the Airtel Thanks App, under the “Rewards & OTT” section. Once activated, users get immediate access to Perplexity Pro’s suite of tools with no extra cost or recharge conditions.
This frictionless experience is critical for ensuring mass adoption, especially across India’s Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
The Bigger Picture: Democratizing AI in India
India, home to one of the world’s youngest digital populations, has long been hungry for innovation but constrained by affordability. While generative AI platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini have gained traction globally, access at scale has been limited in India—until now.
This partnership solves a significant affordability barrier. It also signals a shift in the telecom sector’s identity—from being mere data providers to becoming platform enablers.
“We believe AI will transform how Indians live and work. With this partnership, we are not just giving access; we’re building India’s AI readiness,” said a senior Airtel executive.
Why This Move Matters for Airtel
From a business standpoint, Airtel’s decision to tie up with a fast-growing AI company like Perplexity has multiple benefits:
- User retention boost in a hyper-competitive telecom market
- Brand positioning as an AI-first, innovation-forward telco
- Increased average revenue per user (ARPU) over time through premium experiences
- Platform synergy with Airtel’s Wynk, Xstream, and cloud services
Additionally, as users engage more with AI content, data consumption per user is expected to rise, indirectly benefiting Airtel’s core business.
Perplexity’s India Play: Shortcut to Scale
Perplexity’s strategy to enter India through Airtel is being hailed as a masterstroke. It allows the startup to:
- Onboard millions of users instantly
- Generate usage data at scale for further optimization
- Bypass traditional CAC-heavy user acquisition methods
- Establish brand recall before rivals like OpenAI, You.com, or Google Bard scale locally
According to TechCrunch, the Perplexity app has already climbed to the top of India’s App Store charts within a week of launch, surpassing even ChatGPT in daily downloads.
Final Takeaway
This isn’t just a freebie for users—it’s a strategic reshaping of India’s AI landscape. In a world where access to information equals power, Airtel and Perplexity’s partnership hands a loaded toolset to millions.
It’s a model that may well inspire Jio, Vodafone Idea, and others to follow suit, possibly triggering a generative AI revolution at India’s grassroots level.
