Airtel to offer 12-month Perplexity Pro subscription for free to all 36 crore customers

Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel, which primarily competes with Ambani's Jio, has partnered with Perplexity, an AI startup founded by an IIT Madras graduate, to offer a 12‑month Perplexity Pro subscription free of charge to all 360 million of its customers. 

Perplexity is an AI-powered search and answer engine that offers real-time, accurate and deeply researched responses to users in a conversational language. It elevates a customer’s search from the listing of web pages to an easy-to-read answer, which can be iterated with the self-learning AI-tool for the precise outcome the user needs. 

Perplexity has a free offering, which offers powerful search functions, while the Pro version provides enhanced capabilities for professionals and heavy users.

Perplexity Pro includes more daily Pro searches per user, access to advanced AI models (e.g., GPT 4.1, Claude) and the ability to select specific models, deep research, image generation, file uploads and analysis, as well as Perplexity Labs, a unique tool that brings ideas to life. Perplexity Pro is priced globally at Rs 17,000 for a year. 

However, Airtel is now making the Pro subscription available free for all of its customers, including those using mobile, Wi‑Fi and DTH services, for one year. This marks Perplexity’s first partnership with an Indian telecommunications company. Airtel users can claim the offer by logging on to the Airtel Thanks app.

Commenting on the partnership, Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Bharti Airtel said, “This collaboration will bring the powerful and real-time knowledge tool for millions of users at their fingertips, at no extra cost. This first of its kind Gen-AI partnership in India is focused on helping our customers navigate the emerging trends in the digital world with confidence and ease.” 

Aravind Srinivas, Cofounder and CEO of Perplexity, said, “This partnership is an exciting way to make accurate, trustworthy, and professional-grade AI accessible to more people in India—whether a student, working professional, or managing a household. With Perplexity Pro, users get a smarter, easier way to find information, learn, and get more done.”

Perplexity was founded by IIT Madras graduate Srinivas and Johnny Ho, Andy Konwinski, and Denis Yarats.