New Delhi: Bharti Airtel has partnered with AI-powered search platform Perplexity to offer a 12-month free subscription to Perplexity Pro for its users across mobile, broadband, and DTH services. The subscription, which is priced at around Rs 17,000 annually, will be made available through the Airtel Thanks app.
The move marks Perplexity’s first collaboration with an Indian telecom operator and comes as the startup pushes for a larger presence in the Indian market. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Airtel currently has over 390 million users, making it the second-largest telecom service provider in the country after Reliance Jio.
Perplexity, known for its real-time, AI-powered search engine, is positioning itself to tap into India’s expanding digital user base. Its Pro version offers access to advanced AI models like GPT-4.1 and Claude, along with tools for deep research, file analysis, image generation, and Perplexity Labs, a feature that supports ideation and project development. The Airtel partnership is seen as part of Perplexity’s broader strategy to integrate its services into large-scale consumer platforms and hardware ecosystems.
The India partnership follows Perplexity’s global collaboration with Motorola, announced in April 2025, under which its app comes pre-installed on Motorola’s new smartphones including the Razr and Edge 60 series. That deal provides Motorola users with a three-month trial of Perplexity Pro.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Perplexity is also in talks with Samsung to preload its search features on upcoming devices and possibly integrate them into Samsung’s web browser and voice assistant, Bixby.
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