In a first, Bharti Airtel ties up with Perplexity to offer AI to users

'Pro' version of LLM to be available free of cost

Domestic telecommunication services major Bharti Airtel has partnered with Perplexity AI to offer the “Pro” version of the large-language model (LLM) and search engine, worth ₹17,000 annually, free of charge to all its 360 million users, the company said in a press release. 

“Perplexity Pro includes more daily Pro searches per user, access to advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models, and the ability to select specific models, deep research, image generation, file uploads and analysis, as well as Perplexity Labs, a unique tool that brings ideas to life,” Bharti Airtel said. 

This is the first-of-its-kind tieup between a telecom service provider and an LLM company in India, through which advanced-level services of the AI-powered search engine will be provided to all customers of the telecom company. 

Globally, Perplexity has tied up with South Korea’s SK Telecom (SKT) and Taiwanese telecom services provider Taiwan Mobile to offer similar Pro versions of the search engine to users. 

As a part of its partnership with SKT, apart from offering Pro services to the telco’s users, Perplexity had also agreed to work with it to develop new AI tools that capture the most up-to-date information from the internet to accurately respond to time-sensitive queries. The partnership was announced by Perplexity in February 2024. 

In Japan and Singapore, Perplexity has partnered with Softbank and Singtel, respectively, to offer similar products and services to all users of the telecom service providers. The Bharti Airtel-Perplexity AI partnership in India is focused on helping customers navigate the emerging trends in the digital world with confidence and ease, said Gopal Vittal, vice chairman and managing director of Bharti Airtel. 

“This partnership is an exciting way to make accurate, trustworthy, and professional-grade AI accessible to more people in India — whether a student, working professional, or someone managing a household,” said Aravind Srinivas, chief executive officer (CEO) and cofounder of the AI-powered search engine. 

A week ago, Perplexity AI also announced the launch of its own browser, Comet, which it said would help users navigate the internet and search results more effectively. 

“Comet allows you to ask questions anywhere they occur to you, whether you want to understand a complex concept, find hidden connections, create new possibilities, or solve problems that have been puzzling you,” the company had then said in a blog post.

Earlier this week, search engine giant Google also announced that eligible Indian students, aged 18 or above, would now get free one-year subscription to the Google AI Pro plan, along with other benefits such as access to premium tools, Deep Research, NotebookLM, Gemini Live, Veo 3 for AI video creation, and AI integration across Gmail, and Docs among others.