Airtel partners with Perplexity to offer Pro subscription worth ₹17,000 for free to 360 million customers

India’s Bharti Airtel has partnered with US-based Perplexity to offer a complimentary 12-month subscription of Perplexity Pro to its 360 million customers. 

‘This Pro subscription, worth ₹17,000, is now available for free, for all Airtel customers (Mobile, Wi- Fi and DTH) for one year,’ Airtel said in a regulatory filing on Thursday.

New facility for Airtel customers

This allows Airtel users to access an AI-powered search and answer engine that delivers real-time, accurate, and well-researched responses in a conversational format. The annual subscription, typically priced at ₹17,000, will now be available to Airtel's mobile, Wi-Fi, and DTH customers at no extra cost.

The Perplexity Pro subscription includes advanced features such as more daily Pro searches, access to advanced AI models like GPT 4.1 and Claude, the ability to select specific models, deep research, image generation, file uploads and analysis, and access to Perplexity Labs.

Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Bharti Airtel, said that this partnership will provide millions of users with a powerful and real-time knowledge tool for free, helping them explore new trends in the digital world at ease.

Aravind Srinivas, Cofounder and CEO of Perplexity, shared that this collaboration will make professional-grade AI accessible to a broader audience in India, including students, professionals, and homemakers.

Airtel users can access this offer by logging on to the Airtel Thanks App.

Perplexity is available through the app on Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac, as well as on a web browser. 

AI subscription offers for India

Incidentally, this is the second AI subscription offer for Indian users in just a few days. On July 15, Google announced a free one-year subscription to the company’s AI Pro plan for students aged 18 and over in the country. This would otherwise cost ₹19,500. 

Google’s new plan allows Indian students to access the most advanced AI model, Gemini 2.5 Pro, along with expanded access to Google’s AI products.

About Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel ranks among the top three mobile operators globally. It is a communications solutions provider with over 590 million customers across India and Africa. It offers a range of services, including 4G/5G mobile, Wi-Fi, digital payments, and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel provides secure connectivity, cloud and data center services, cyber security, and IoT solutions.

About Perplexity

Founded in 2022, Perplexity is an AI-powered answer engine designed to provide accurate answers with citations, deep research, and more. It has bridged the gap between traditional search engines and AI-driven interfaces, answering over 150 million weekly questions around the globe.

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