Airtel offers Perplexity Pro AI subscription worth ₹17,000 free for its customers

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Thursday said it has partnered with AI-powered search engine Perplexity to offer its Pro subscription, worth ₹17,000 annually, free of cost for one year to all its customers.

The offer is available to Airtel’s over 360 million customers across mobile, Wi-Fi and DTH services, and can be availed through the Airtel Thanks app.

Perplexity is an AI-based search and answer engine that provides real-time, researched, and conversational responses to users, instead of just listing web pages. Its Pro version offers advanced features such as access to powerful AI models including GPT-4.1 and Claude, deep research capabilities, image generation, file uploads and analysis, and Perplexity Labs for idea development.

“We’re thrilled to announce a game-changing partnership with Perplexity, bringing their cutting-edge AI capabilities exclusively for Airtel customers. This first-of-its-kind Gen-AI partnership in India will help customers navigate emerging digital trends with confidence and ease,” Bharti Airtel Vice Chairman and MD Gopal Vittal said.

Perplexity CEO and Co-founder Aravind Srinivas said the partnership will make professional-grade AI accessible to more people in India, from students and professionals to homemakers, enabling them to find information and make decisions faster.

This is Perplexity’s first tie-up with an Indian telecom operator.

The company said students can use the tool for research, homemakers for daily tasks and planning, and professionals for productivity and itinerary planning.

"The boost in productivity, and elimination of stress for its users is a benefit one can only realize after trying this tool," the release said.