Bharti Airtel, one of India’s largest telecom companies, has announced a high-profile partnership with Perplexity, an AI-powered answer engine. This collaboration introduces a significant benefit: all 360 million Airtel customers—across mobile, broadband, Wi-Fi, and DTH services—are eligible for a free one-year subscription to Perplexity Pro, valued at ₹17,000 annually.
Key Details of the Collaboration
- Free Subscription: Airtel customers receive Perplexity Pro at no extra cost for 12 months. The offer is accessible via the Airtel Thanks App.
- User Base: The offer is aimed at Airtel’s entire customer base, including prepaid, postpaid, broadband, and DTH users.
- Advanced Features: Perplexity Pro unlocks features such as:
- More daily Pro AI searches
- Access to advanced AI models like GPT-4.1 and Claude
- The ability to choose specific AI models
- Deep research, image generation, file uploads, and analysis tools
- Perplexity Labs—a space for users to test and build new AI-powered ideas and projects
What’s New: Free Perplexity Pro for Airtel Users
Airtel’s new initiative allows its over 360 million customers—across mobile, broadband, Wi-Fi, and DTH services—to enjoy a free one-year Perplexity Pro subscription, typically priced at ₹17,000 annually. The offer is conveniently accessible via the Airtel Thanks App and is available to all prepaid, postpaid, broadband, and DTH customers.
Key Perks of Perplexity Pro
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Enhanced daily AI-powered searches.
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Access to advanced AI models like GPT-4.1 and Claude.
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The flexibility to choose your preferred AI model for specific tasks.
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Deep research capabilities, image generation, file uploads, and analysis tools.
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Access to Perplexity Labs for experimenting with new AI features and projects.
How to Activate the Offer
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Open the Airtel Thanks App.
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Tap the menu icon (hamburger menu) in the top-right corner.
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Select Rewards and OTTs.
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Tap on Rewards.
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Look for the Perplexity Pro offer under “Collect Rewards” and select Claim Now.
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Follow the prompts to activate your free year of Perplexity Pro.
Why This Partnership Matters
This collaboration is more than a corporate tie-up—it’s a bold step toward democratizing advanced AI for the masses in India.
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Widest Reach: The initiative targets Airtel’s vast customer base, making professional-grade AI accessible in urban and rural landscapes alike.
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First of Its Kind: This marks Perplexity’s first major partnership with an Indian telecom company, setting a precedent for future collaborations in the AI space.
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Value for Users: Students, professionals, and households gain powerful tools for learning, working, and creating without the barrier of high subscription costs.
Strategic Significance
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This partnership represents Perplexity’s first major tie-up with an Indian telecom operator, signaling a broader push to make cutting-edge AI tools available to the Indian mass market.
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It positions Airtel as a frontrunner in integrating advanced AI and GenAI services into mainstream telecom and digital offerings, catering to students, professionals, and everyday users seeking smarter ways to search, analyze, and create content.
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The move parallels similar AI-focused offers in India’s tech sector, including Google’s Gemini Pro offer for students.
Leadership Perspective
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Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Bharti Airtel, stated that the collaboration brings “a powerful, real-time knowledge tool for millions of users at their fingertips, at no extra cost,” describing this as a “first of its kind Gen-AI partnership in India”.
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Aravind Srinivas, Co-founder and CEO of Perplexity, underscored that the partnership helps “make accurate, trustworthy, and professional-grade AI accessible to more people in India,” including students, professionals, and even households.
Conclusion
Bharti Airtel and Perplexity’s collaboration signals a new era of AI accessibility in India. By seamlessly integrating AI-powered tools into the daily digital lives of millions, this alliance not only sets a new standard for telecom offerings but also accelerates India’s journey toward a smarter, AI-enabled future.
Airtel–Perplexity partnership details as discussed in recent public announcements and official statements.
