How to Get a ₹17,000 AI Tool for Free: Airtel’s Perplexity Pro Offer Explained

Airtel Just Handed 360 Million Users an AI Superpower—Is This the Beginning of the End for Google Search?

In a move that sent ripples across the tech and telecom industries, Bharti Airtel, one of India’s largest telecommunication giants, has announced a landmark partnership with Perplexity AI. The deal? A complimentary one-year subscription to Perplexity Pro, an advanced AI “answer engine,” for its entire 360-million-strong customer base. This offer, valued at approximately ₹17,000 (or $200), isn’t just another freebie; it’s a strategic push to fundamentally change how we interact with information online.

This isn’t just about a free app. It’s a massive bet on the future of search, a future where you don’t just get links, but direct, synthesized answers with sources. We’ll explore what Perplexity Pro is, how it challenges traditional search engines like Google, what this partnership means for the industry, and most importantly, how you can claim your free access to this powerful AI tool.

So, What Exactly is Perplexity AI?

Think about how you use the internet. You have a question, you type it into a search bar, and you get a list of ten blue links. You then spend the next several minutes clicking through various websites, dodging ads, and piecing together the information you need. It works, but it’s often inefficient.

Perplexity AI flips that model on its head. It calls itself an “answer engine,” not a search engine. When you ask a question, it doesn’t just point you to websites. Instead, it scours the web, reads the relevant sources, and then provides you with a direct, conversational, and comprehensive answer, complete with citations. 💡

Imagine asking, “What were the key economic policies implemented in India during the 1990s and what was their impact?”

• A traditional search engine would give you links to Wikipedia, academic papers, and news articles. You’d be the one doing the research.
• Perplexity AI would give you a detailed summary explaining the liberalization policies, their objectives, key figures involved, and a nuanced look at their positive and negative consequences, all with numbered footnotes linking back to the original sources it used.

This approach is designed for deeper understanding and faster research, saving you the hassle of sifting through countless pages.

Unlocking the “Pro” Level: What the Free Airtel Offer Gets You

While Perplexity offers a capable free version, the Perplexity Pro subscription unlocks its full potential. This is what Airtel users get for a full year, completely free. The upgrade is substantial, turning a handy tool into a research powerhouse.

Here’s a breakdown of the key Pro features:

• 📌 Access to Elite AI Models: Pro users can choose which advanced AI model powers their search, including OpenAI’s GPT-4o, Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro, and Anthropic’s Claude 3 Opus. This allows you to tailor the AI’s reasoning and response style to your specific needs.
• 📌 Unlimited File Uploads: This is a huge one. You can upload PDFs, text files, and even code. Ask the AI to summarize a dense 100-page research paper, explain a complex legal document in simple terms, or debug a piece of code.
• 📌 Unlimited “Pro Search”: The free version limits the number of deep, AI-intensive searches you can do. The Pro plan offers over 300 Pro searches per day, which is practically unlimited for most users.
• 📌 AI-Powered Image Generation: Need a custom image for a presentation or project? Perplexity Pro includes a text-to-image generator, allowing you to create visuals from a simple description.
• 📌 Dedicated Support & a Sharper AI: Pro users get priority customer support and access to a more advanced AI profile that provides richer, more detailed answers.

Perplexity Free vs. Perplexity Pro: A Quick Comparison

Feature	Perplexity (Free Tier)	Perplexity Pro (Free via Airtel)
Core Function	Conversational AI Answers	Conversational AI Answers
Daily Pro Searches	Limited (5 every 4 hours)	300+ per day
Choice of AI Model	Standard Model Only	✅ Yes (GPT-4o, Gemini 1.5 Pro, Claude 3, etc.)
File Uploads	3 per day	✅ Unlimited
Image Generation	⛔️ No	✅ Yes
API Credits	$5 per month	✅ $5 per month
Cost	Free	₹17,000 / year (Free for Airtel Users)

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Claiming Perplexity Pro

Ready to claim your free subscription? The process is refreshingly simple and is managed through the Airtel Thanks app. This offer is available to all Airtel customers, whether you’re on a prepaid, postpaid, broadband, or DTH plan.

Here’s how to get it done:

1. Open the Airtel Thanks App: Make sure you have the latest version of the app on your smartphone. If not, download it from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
2. Find the Offer Banner: Once you’re logged in, look for the “Discover Airtel Thanks benefits” section on the home screen. You should see a prominent banner for the Perplexity Pro offer.
3. Claim Your Reward: Tap on the banner. You’ll be taken to a page detailing the offer. Tap the “Claim Now” button.
4. Activate on Perplexity’s Website: You will be redirected to Perplexity’s website. Here, you’ll need to either create a new account or log in to an existing one.
5. Enjoy Pro! That’s it. Your account will automatically be upgraded to Pro status for one year, with no need to enter any credit card or payment details.

According to the official announcement, eligible users can claim their free subscription via the Airtel Thanks app.

A Strategic Masterstroke or a Desperate Gamble?

This partnership is more than just a customer perk; it’s a calculated move with significant implications for both companies and the wider market.

For Airtel: The Ultimate Value-Add 🚀

In the hyper-competitive Indian telecom market, differentiation is key. With data and call prices already at rock bottom, companies are competing on value-added services. By offering Perplexity Pro, Airtel is positioning itself not just as a service provider, but as a gateway to cutting-edge technology.

Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO of Bharti Airtel, framed it as an empowerment tool, stating, “This partnership is a game-changer for our customers, providing them with a powerful tool to enhance their digital experiences and navigate the ever-increasing flood of information.” This move could significantly boost customer loyalty and attract new users who see tangible value beyond the basic telecom service.

For Perplexity: A Shortcut to 360 Million Users 📈

For Perplexity, a relatively new startup valued at over $3 billion, this is a massive win. Gaining users is the biggest challenge for any new consumer-facing platform, especially when you’re competing with a verb like “Google.”

This partnership instantly puts Perplexity in the hands of a huge, diverse user base in one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies. It’s a marketing and user acquisition masterstroke. Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, noted, “Partnering with Airtel allows us to bring the power of Perplexity to a massive new audience, helping them harness AI to become more knowledgeable and productive.”

Is the Reign of Traditional Search Truly Over?

This move adds serious fuel to the debate over the future of search. For two decades, Google’s list of links has been the default window to the internet. But AI answer engines represent the first real paradigm shift.

However, challenges remain:

• ➡️ Habit and Trust: Google is deeply ingrained in our digital lives. Shifting that habit will take time and a consistently superior experience.
• ➡️ Accuracy and Hallucinations: AI models can sometimes “hallucinate” or generate incorrect information. Perplexity mitigates this with clear citations, but the risk remains a concern for critical research.
• ➡️ The “Discovery” Problem: Sometimes, you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. The list of links from a traditional search can be better for broad exploration and discovering new sources. An answer engine gives you an answer, but it might not be the only one you need.

Beyond the Search Bar: The Path Forward

The Airtel-Perplexity partnership is a powerful signal of where technology is headed. It signifies a shift from searching for information to conversing with it. It democratizes access to powerful AI tools that were previously reserved for paying customers or tech enthusiasts.

By giving millions of users a taste of this new reality, Airtel and Perplexity are not just offering a free subscription; they are conducting one of the largest public trials of an AI-powered future. For the next year, 360 million people have a front-row seat.

Your New AI Research Assistant Has Arrived

The bottom line is clear: if you are an Airtel customer, you have a powerful, sophisticated, and expensive AI tool available to you for free. It’s a chance to experiment with the next generation of information retrieval, whether you’re a student researching a thesis, a professional summarizing reports, or just someone curious about the world.

This partnership is more than a headline. It’s a practical invitation to experience a new way of learning and working. Go claim it, try it out, and decide for yourself if this is the future you want to be a part of. The internet is about to get a lot more conversational.