Airtel Unlocks the Power of AI for 360 Million Users with Free Perplexity Pro Access
- Airtel has partnered with AI-powered search engine Perplexity to offer a 12-month Perplexity Pro subscription worth Rs 17,000 free to all 360 million users.
- Perplexity Pro provides advanced AI features like GPT-4.1 access, deep research, image generation, and more transforming search into real-time, conversational answers.
- This marks India’s first Gen-AI telecom partnership, aimed at empowering students, professionals, and homemakers with smarter, AI-assisted decision-making tools.
In a groundbreaking move that underscores its commitment to delivering cutting-edge digital services, Bharti Airtel has announced a strategic partnership with AI-powered search engine Perplexity. As part of this collaboration, Airtel will offer a complimentary 12-month Perplexity Pro subscription valued at Rs 17,000 to all of its 360 million customers across mobile, broadband, and DTH services.
Perplexity is a revolutionary AI-driven search and answer engine that transforms traditional web search into a conversational experience. Instead of offering a list of web links, it provides real-time, well-researched answers in an easy-to-understand format. With capabilities such as deep research, file uploads, image generation, and the use of advanced AI models like GPT-4.1 and Claude, Perplexity Pro is designed to cater to the needs of professionals, students, and everyday users who demand more from their online experience.
The Pro version enhances the basic offering by allowing more daily searches, model selection, and access to Perplexity Labs a tool that brings user ideas to life. This subscription is now being made available for free to all Airtel users via the Airtel Thanks app, marking Perplexity’s first-ever partnership with an Indian telecom provider.
Commenting on the initiative, Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Bharti Airtel, said, “We’re thrilled to announce a game-changing partnership with Perplexity, bringing their cutting-edge AI capabilities exclusively for Airtel customers. 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, Co-founder and CEO of Perplexity, emphasized the broader vision of the alliance. “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”.
The potential use cases are vast. For instance, a student in Rajkot can leverage Perplexity Pro for structured academic research. A homemaker in Kanyakumari can use it as a personal assistant for quick, accurate responses. A busy professional can rely on it to plan a customized family vacation within seconds, saving time and effort.
By integrating AI into everyday life, this partnership signifies a leap forward in democratizing access to advanced digital tools all at no cost to Airtel’s expansive user base.
