Bharti Airtel bets on the rising tide of AI curiosity by handing its customers a one-year premium pass to Google’s fast-growing challenger
For 360 million Airtel users, the Google bar might soon become a little lonelier.
In a move that could reshape how millions of Indians search for information online, Bharti Airtel is giving all its prepaid, postpaid, and broadband customers free access to a 1-year Perplexity Pro subscription, the AI-powered answer engine that’s steadily emerging as a viable rival to Google Search.
The announcement, made on Thursday, positions Airtel as the first Indian telecom operator to partner with Perplexity — and comes at a time when Indians are warming up to conversational AI tools with remarkable speed.
The deal, Airtel confirmed, will remain available via the Airtel Thanks app’s Rewards section until January 17, 2026.
A Search Engine With a Brain
Unlike traditional search engines, Perplexity doesn’t serve up a list of links — it gives direct answers, grounded in real-time citations. Ask it “What’s the latest on India’s space missions?” and you’ll get a short, sourced summary with links to where it got the information — not ten blue links to click through.
That’s the pitch, at least.
Its Pro subscription — which normally costs $20 a month (₹1,731) — unlocks faster responses, file uploads, advanced models, and more personalized results. Globally, Perplexity has inked similar deals with SoftBank in Japan and T-Mobile in the U.S. over the past year, but the Airtel tie-up opens the door to India’s colossal, mobile-first digital ecosystem.
And Perplexity knows exactly what it’s doing.
“India is our fastest-growing market outside North America,” said a senior company executive, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The average Indian user is spending more time in the app, asking deeper questions — especially in the education and productivity space.”
Telco Bundles, Reinvented
This isn’t Airtel’s first AI flirtation. The company has made steady moves into integrating AI-driven experiences across its digital platforms — from personalized content curation in Wynk to using machine learning for network optimization.
But this time, the scale and ambition are notably different.
Why it matters:
This is not just another “app bundle.” This is an Indian telecom giant actively betting on a search experience beyond Google, layered with personalization, context awareness, and a humanlike interface — and it’s giving it away for free.
The rollout isn’t limited by tier. Whether you’re using Airtel Black, a broadband-only user, or a prepaid mobile subscriber on a basic ₹199 plan, you qualify for the full Pro experience — no strings attached.
What’s Inside the Free Perplexity Pro Offer?
| Feature | Regular Users | Airtel Customers (1 Year) |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-4 Powered Responses | ❌ | ✅ |
| File Upload Support | ❌ | ✅ |
| Faster Response Speed | ❌ | ✅ |
| Unlimited Daily Questions | ❌ (Capped) | ✅ |
| Real-time Web Access | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cost per Month | $20 / ₹1,731 | ₹0 (till Jan 17, 2026) |
Google, Meet Your Challenger
For Google, which currently dominates India’s search traffic, the rise of Perplexity — and its integration with a telco partner as massive as Airtel — could be a signal that search loyalty is no longer guaranteed.
In fact, data from analytics firm Redseer shows that over 37% of urban Gen Z smartphone users in India now use AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity weekly, particularly for study, research, and product comparisons.
That behavior is exactly what Perplexity wants to capture — and Airtel is giving it front-row access.
India: The World’s Next AI Playground
India, with its 850 million internet users and an appetite for low-cost innovation, is rapidly becoming the next big battleground for AI-native apps. And Airtel’s distribution muscle gives Perplexity a level of reach and trust that startups normally take years to earn.
Just how big is Airtel’s footprint?
-
360 million+ customers
-
Pan-India 5G coverage across 5,000+ towns
-
Deep penetration in rural and Tier-II markets
It’s a bet on attention, not just subscriptions — and it could shift the perception of AI from elite to everyday.
Still Niche? Maybe Not for Long
Sure, not everyone is going to abandon Google overnight. But if even a fraction of Airtel users try Perplexity — and like it — the habit shift could be irreversible.
The ball now lies in how Perplexity evolves its product for India — with regional language support, voice prompts, and India-specific citations. Airtel has said it will promote the feature via in-app campaigns, SMS, and even offline touchpoints over the coming months.
For now, the search for better search has found a new launchpad — and it might just be sitting in your pocket.
