The telecom giant's surprise partnership with Perplexity Pro shakes up India's AI landscape as tech companies scramble for users.
It's not every day that a telecom company hands out ₹17,000 worth of AI software for free. But that's exactly what happened on July 17, when Bharti Airtel dropped a bombshell announcement: every single one of its 360 million customers (yes, you read that right) would get a full year of Perplexity Pro at absolutely no cost.
The deal is exclusive, meaning if you're with Jio or any other carrier, you're out of luck. And it marks the first time Perplexity, the San Francisco-based AI search startup, has partnered with an Indian telecom operator.
So what's really going on here?
The AI Land Grab Nobody Saw Coming
Just two days before Airtel's announcement, Google made headlines by offering Indian students a free year of its AI Pro plan (worth ₹19,500). Now Airtel comes along and essentially partners with Perplexity.
"We're thrilled to announce a game-changing partnership with Perplexity, bringing their cutting-edge AI capabilities exclusively for Airtel customers," Gopal Vittal, Airtel's Vice Chairman and MD, said in the company's press release. He called it a "first of its kind Gen-AI partnership in India."
But here's where it gets interesting. TechCrunch got their hands on some exclusive data from Sensor Tower, and the numbers are wild. Perplexity's downloads in India jumped 600% year-over-year to hit 2.8 million in Q2 2025. Monthly active users? Up 640%. In fact, India has become Perplexity's largest market by monthly active users.
Still, they're playing catch-up. ChatGPT pulled in 46.7 million downloads in India during the same period.
What's the Big Deal About Perplexity Pro Anyway?
Think of Perplexity as that friend who always has the right answer—except it's an AI that actually cites its sources. While Google gives you a list of links to wade through, Perplexity serves up conversational answers backed by real citations.
The free version limits you to three "Pro" searches daily. But with the Pro subscription, Airtel is giving away:
- Unlimited Pro searches (bye-bye, daily limits)
- Access to the heavy hitters like GPT-4.1 and Claude
- The ability to switch between AI models like you're changing TV channels
- Image generation that actually works
- File uploads and analysis without restrictions
- Something called Perplexity Labs (think of it as an AI playground for projects)
- Plus $5 monthly in API credits and priority support
"This partnership is an exciting way to make accurate, trustworthy, and professional-grade AI accessible to more people in India," Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas explained. He's not wrong—whether you're a student in Rajkot doing research or a busy professional in Bengaluru planning a vacation, the tool adapts to what you need.
Claiming the Free Subscription
Airtel customers can activate their free Perplexity Pro subscription by following these steps:
1. Log in to the Airtel Thanks app
2. Navigate to the "Subscriptions" or "Rewards and OTTs" section
3. Click "Claim Now" next to Perplexity Pro
4. Enter an email address and verify with OTP
5. The subscription activates instantly and remains valid for 12 months
This partnership could potentially disrupt traditional search dynamics in a country where Google commands over 90% market share. With Perplexity positioning itself as a credible alternative to traditional search engines and other AI assistants like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, the Airtel partnership provides a massive platform for user acquisition and market penetration.
