Big Tech Surprise: Airtel Offers Perplexity Pro AI Tool Free to 360 Million Customers

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In a landmark move set to empower millions with cutting-edge AI technology, Bharti Airtel on Thursday announced its partnership with AI-powered search and answer platform Perplexity, offering a 12-month Perplexity Pro subscription worth ₹17,000 absolutely free to all its 360 million customers across mobile, Wi-Fi, and DTH services.

Perplexity is known for delivering real-time, accurate, and deeply researched answers in a conversational format. While its free version offers strong search capabilities, Perplexity Pro comes packed with premium features like access to advanced AI models (GPT-4.1, Claude), deep research tools, file uploads and analysis, image generation, and Perplexity Labs—a unique space for idea development and experimentation.

Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman & MD of Bharti Airtel, termed the initiative a “game-changing partnership,” saying, “This collaboration will bring powerful and real-time AI tools to millions of Airtel users at no extra cost. It’s a first-of-its-kind Gen-AI initiative in India, helping customers explore digital trends with ease.” Users can access this benefit by logging into the Airtel Thanks App.

Perplexity’s CEO and Co-founder Aravind Srinivas added, “This partnership makes accurate, professional-grade AI accessible to every Indian—students, professionals, and homemakers alike. Perplexity Pro enables smarter learning, faster information access, and greater productivity.” This marks Perplexity’s first-ever partnership with an Indian telecom operator, significantly expanding the reach of generative AI in the country.