Perplexity’s Airtel Giveaway in India: Millions of Users, but Can They Convert?

BitcoinWorld Perplexity’s Airtel Giveaway in India: Millions of Users, but Can They Convert?

Perplexity’s decision to give away a year of its premium AI service to Airtel customers in India resulted in a massive surge in downloads and usage, but the real test of the strategy is now unfolding as free subscriptions expire and the company seeks to convert users into paying customers.

How the Airtel Partnership Transformed Perplexity’s Presence in India In July 2025, Perplexity partnered with Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, to offer a free 12-month Perplexity Pro subscription—normally worth about $200—to the carrier’s 360 million customers.

The offer was available for new redemptions until January 16, 2026, and the earliest users began reaching the end of their free access in July 2026, with auto-renewal defaulting to paid unless users opted out. The impact was immediate.