Perplexity Taps India with Exclusive Airtel Deal
360 Million Airtel Users Get Free AI Access
Perplexity has announced a major partnership with Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator. The deal offers a free 12-month Perplexity Pro subscription to all 360 million Airtel users, bringing its AI-powered search tools to the mass market.
The subscription normally costs $200 a year, but Airtel users will now get it at no cost. Airtel confirmed that this is an exclusive partnership, meaning no other Indian telecom company can offer Perplexity access. Post this move, Perplexity has become the #1 overall app on App Store in India, ahead of ChatGPT.
India Becomes a Key AI Growth Market
India, already the world’s most populous country, is becoming a crucial testing ground for global AI expansion. While OpenAI leads in the U.S., Perplexity is betting on India’s mobile-first user base.
In the second quarter of 2025, Perplexity downloads in India surged 600% year-over-year, reaching 2.8 million, according to Sensor Tower. By comparison, ChatGPT saw 46.7 million downloads but grew at a slower rate of 587%.
When it comes to monthly active users, Perplexity grew 640%, while ChatGPT saw 350% growth in India. However, ChatGPT still leads with 19.8 million active users, compared to 3.7 million for Perplexity.
AI Expansion Through Local Partnerships
This is not Perplexity’s first partnership in India. Earlier this year, it integrated its AI tool into Paytm’s app, one of India’s largest fintech platforms with over 500 million downloads. Paytm processes over 1.2 billion UPI transactions monthly, giving Perplexity access to a large and active audience.
Perplexity has also signed deals with 25 other telecom operators globally, including SoftBank in Japan and SK Telecom in South Korea.
Perplexity’s India Focus Starts at the Top
CEO Aravind Srinivas has made India a personal priority. In January, he pledged to hire leadership in India and committed $1 million along with five hours per week of personal time to support Indian AI development.
Though the hiring was paused after an “overwhelming” response, his continued involvement signals how important India is to the company’s strategy.
Why It Matters
This deal not only boosts Perplexity’s presence in India but also democratizes access to generative AI, making it available to millions of users without cost barriers. In a country where mobile internet use dominates, such moves could reshape how AI is adopted and used at scale.
