In a significant strategic move, Bharti Airtel has partnered with Perplexity AI to offer all of its 360 million users free access to Perplexity Pro an AI-powered search and answer tool that rivals traditional engines like Google.
The offering, which typically costs around ₹17,000 ($20/month globally), will now be bundled with Airtel’s plans, signaling a bold shift in how telcos are beginning to think beyond data and calls.
For Airtel, the partnership isn’t just a value-add it’s a positioning play. As artificial intelligence tools rapidly become central to productivity, research, and business decision-making, Airtel’s integration of Perplexity Pro puts AI directly in the hands of India’s mass mobile internet users without added cost.
Users can access Perplexity Pro via the Airtel Thanks app, where a separate card will guide them through. This includes features like real-time web answers, image generation, and citation-backed information all without paywalls.
This move reflects a wider trend in India’s telecom sector where the fight is no longer just for data pricing, but for ecosystem stickiness. And with 360 million users now having free access to one of the most powerful AI tools globally, Airtel may have just rewritten the rules of user retention in the AI age.
