New Delhi: Bharti Airtel has announced a strategic partnership with AI-powered search and answer engine Perplexity, offering its Perplexity Pro subscription, valued at ₹17,000 annually, free for one year to all 360 million of its customers across mobile, Wi-Fi and DTH services.
Perplexity provides real-time, accurate, and research-backed answers in a conversational format. While the basic version offers powerful search functions, the Pro subscription delivers enhanced features designed for professionals and high-usage individuals. These include more daily Pro searches, access to advanced AI models like GPT-4.1 and Claude, custom model selection, in-depth research tools, image generation, file upload and analysis capabilities, and Perplexity Labs for idea development.
This marks Perplexity’s first partnership with an Indian telecom operator. Airtel users can access the complimentary one-year Pro subscription via the Airtel Thanks app.
Commenting on the collaboration, Bharti Airtel Vice Chairman and Managing Director Gopal Vittal said, “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 is focused on helping our customers navigate the emerging trends in the digital world with confidence and ease.”
Perplexity CEO and Co-founder Aravind Srinivas added, “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.”
The collaboration is expected to boost user productivity and reduce the stress of information overload, according to the companies.