has partnered with AI-powered search platform Perplexity and will offer premium Perplexity Pro subscription free of cost to all Airtel users for one year.The subscription, otherwise priced at Rs 17,000 a year, will be available for mobile, WI-FI and DTH subscribers.

The Pro subscription gives access to powerful AI tools designed for advanced search, deep research, creative exploration, and productivity, the telco said.

“We’re thrilled to announce a game-changing partnership with Perplexity, bringing their cutting-edge AI capabilities exclusively for Airtel customers," said Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Bharti Airtel. "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 delivers clear, concise, and verified answers in conversational language, offering users a smarter, more intuitive way to find information and make decisions unlike other search engines that return a list of web links, Perplexity

Airtel’s offering of a free Rs 17,000 Perplexity Pro subscription to its 360 million customers could be a strategic move to attract new sign-ups and slow subscriber erosion amid fierce competition with Mukesh Ambani's Jio.“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," said Aravind Srinivas, Cofounder & CEO of Perplexity. "With Perplexity Pro, users get a smarter, easier way to find information, learn, and get more done.”As of May 31, Bharti Airtel had roughly 390 million wireless users, versus Reliance Jio’s 472 million, and locked in just 275,000 net additions in May compared to Jio’s 2.7 million.

Free Perplexity AI Pro Offer: How can Airtel users avail it?

Users can go to the ‘Rewards and OTTs’ section from the homepage of the Airtel Thanks app to find and redeem the offer. Perplexity is available through the app on Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac, as well as on a web browser.

The offer is designed to appeal to a wide range of users, from students and professionals to homemakers and frequent travellers, bringing real value and productivity enhancement at no additional cost.