In a first-of-its-kind move in Indias telecom space, Bharti Airtel is offering its users a free one-year subscription to Perplexity Pro, an advanced AI-powered search engine platform. The subscription, valued at 17,000 annually, is available to eligible Airtel customers through the Airtel Thanks app.

Unlike traditional chatbot interfaces, Perplexity uses real-time web access to answer user queries, powered by leading large language models like GPT-4.1 from OpenAI and Claude 4.0 Sonnet from Anthropic.

Airtel Becomes First Indian Telco to Bundle an AI Utility Tool

This marks the first time a telecom provider in India has bundled an AI productivity tool, as opposed to the usual video streaming or music services. The offer aims to make premium AI features accessible to a wider mobile-first audience.

This is the first time a network operator is offering an annual premium subscription for an AI chatbot, the company highlighted in the campaign announcement.

The move is seen as part of Airtels broader strategy to diversify its digital service offerings in the era of generative AI.

You x Us x @perplexity_ai - collab of the year! pic.twitter.com/nA3nH0ycQE

airtel India (@airtelindia) July 17, 2025

What Is Perplexity Pro?

Perplexity Pro is a search-first AI platform that blends natural language understanding with web-sourced results. Unlike ChatGPT or Gemini, it focuses on generating factual, source-cited answers, making it a reliable alternative to traditional search engines.

Features of Perplexity Pro:

• Up to 300 AI-powered queries per day
  
  

• Upload and summarise documents (PDFs, Word, etc.)
  
  

• AI image generation using tools like DALLE
  
  

• Switch between models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google
  
  

• Labs feature for creating dashboards, web apps, and data visualisations
  
  

These features are now available for free to eligible Airtel users for a full year.

How to Claim the Free Perplexity Pro Subscription

Airtel users can claim the complimentary subscription through the Airtel Thanks app by following these steps:

1. Open the Airtel Thanks app.
   
   

2. Tap on the Rewards section.
   
   

3. Look for the banner titled:
   Get 12 months of Perplexity Pro worth 17,000 FREE.
   
   

4. Tap Claim Now.
   
   

5. Complete the sign-up or sign-in process on Perplexitys official website.
   
   

6. No payment or credit card details are required.
   
   

The offer is being rolled out in phases and is currently available only to select users. If its not visible in your app, your number may not be eligible yet.

What Is Labs and Why Its Getting Attention

One standout feature of the subscription is access to Perplexity Labs, an experimental toolkit within the platform. It allows users to:

• Build mini web apps or dashboards
  
  

• Create charts or visual reports from uploaded data
  
  

• Execute small code blocks
  
  

• Explore automation workflows for business or education use cases
  
  

Designed for both professionals and casual users, Labs opens the door to low-code productivity tools built on top of LLMs.

Strategic Move in Indias Growing AI Ecosystem

With India rapidly emerging as one of the worlds largest AI adoption markets, Airtels offering aligns with broader trends. The telco is positioning itself as more than just a network provider but also a gateway to smart tools that enhance productivity and digital learning.

Experts suggest this could pave the way for more telecom-AI partnerships, especially in regional and enterprise segments.

Airtels Growing List of Digital Offerings

Until now, Airtel has focused its digital bundling around entertainment (Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, Wynk Music) and cloud services (Airtel Cloud, Airtel Secure). The Perplexity Pro offer marks a shift toward tools that improve work, study, and decision-making.

Comparison Table: Airtel Bundling Then vs Now

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for the free subscription?

Airtel has not publicly shared detailed eligibility criteria. However, it appears to apply to select prepaid and postpaid users. Eligibility can be checked through the Airtel Thanks app.

Is this offer time-limited?

As of now, Airtel has not disclosed an expiry date. But since its promoted as a limited-time offer, users are encouraged to claim it at the earliest.

Can I use Perplexity Pro on desktop after claiming through Airtel?

Yes, once activated, the subscription works across platformsmobile and web.

How is Perplexity different from ChatGPT?

Perplexity focuses on real-time, fact-checked answers with source links and allows model switching. ChatGPT (especially the free version) relies on static training data.

Airtels AI Push Comes at a Strategic Time

The offer comes just weeks after Airtels rival Jio made announcements around JioBrain, its internal AI engine under development. Meanwhile, Meesho and Paytm have also started integrating generative AI into customer support and business tools.

With this move, Airtel is among the first major consumer brands in India to put AI in the hands of everyday users, without paywalls.

What It Means for Users

From summarising class notes and PDFs to experimenting with AI-generated dashboards, Airtel users now have direct access to powerful AI utilities that were previously behind paid walls. This could be especially useful for:

• Students preparing for competitive exams
  
  

• Freelancers and solopreneurs managing data
  
  

• Marketers, analysts, and content creators exploring automation
  
  

As India inches closer to mass AI adoption, Airtels Perplexity Pro bundle may signal a new phase of telecom-led utility innovation.

Quick Summary

Final Word

Airtels latest move gives users a practical reason to explore AI beyond hype and headlines. With no sign-up cost, this first-of-its-kind AI search engine offer is not only easy to claimit might just change how Indians experience the internet.

Read also: Karnataka GST Crackdown: Why Shopkeepers Are Ditching UPI Payments