Bharti Airtel has announced a partnership with AI-powered search platform Perplexity to offer its premium Perplexity Pro subscription free of cost to all Airtel customers for one year.

This subscription, usually priced at Rs.17,000 per year, will be accessible to Airtel’s 360 million users, which include mobile, Wi-Fi, and DTH subscribers.

The Perplexity Pro subscription provides access to advanced AI tools for enhanced search, in-depth research, creative endeavors, and productivity, according to the telecommunications company. Unlike conventional search engines that produce a list of web links, Perplexity offers straightforward, concise, and verified responses in a conversational manner, giving users a smarter, more intuitive means of discovering information and making decisions.

Shares of Bharti Airtel were down 0.4 percent, trading at Rs 1935.70 each on the BSE as of 10:05 AM on July 17. Providing a complimentary Rs.17,000 Perplexity Pro subscription to its 360 million customers may be a strategic initiative to attract new sign-ups and mitigate subscriber losses in the face of stiff competition from Mukesh Ambani's Jio.

As of May 31, Bharti Airtel had approximately 390 million wireless users, compared to Reliance Jio’s 472 million, and only achieved 275,000 net additions in May, in contrast to Jio’s 2.7 million.

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Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Bharti Airtel says, “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.”

Perplexity Pro includes enhanced features such as:
• Unlimited daily Pro searches
• Access to advanced AI models like GPT-4.1 and Claude
• Deep research and analysis capabilities
• File uploads for document-based answers
• Image generation
• Access to Perplexity Labs—a space for testing and building new ideas with AI

How can Airtel Customers Access It?
According to the company, Airtel customers can access the offer via the Airtel Thanks App.

This offer is aimed at a diverse audience, including students, professionals, homemakers, and frequent travelers, offering genuine value and enhancing productivity without any extra cost.

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Aravind Srinivas, Cofounder & CEO of Perplexity says, “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.”