Google and Perplexity ramp up their AI presence in India through limited-time free access, strategic telecom tie-ups
In a strategic move to expand their footprint in India’s growing generative AI market, both Google and Perplexity have rolled out premium AI services—Google AI Pro and Perplexity Pro—free of charge for select Indian users. While this initiative marks an aggressive push to onboard more users, especially in a price-sensitive market, the access remains limited based on partnerships and eligibility criteria.
The move comes amid increasing interest in AI-powered productivity tools and next-gen search alternatives, particularly among tech-savvy Indian consumers and professionals.
Google AI Pro: Free for Some Gemini Users
Google has made its AI Pro tier—which includes access to Gemini Advanced, powered by the Gemini 1.5 Pro model—temporarily free for select Indian users. This plan, typically bundled with Google One AI Premium at ₹1,950/month, is now accessible without charge to users who had signed up earlier or have been part of the extended trial periods.
Gemini Advanced offers long-context understanding, document analysis, coding help, and access to multimodal tools like Gemini in Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. However, this free access is not open to all new users. Those signing up now may still be prompted to purchase the paid subscription depending on account history and platform eligibility.
Google has not issued a formal announcement for this rollout, and details remain scattered across user reports and updates from Android and ChromeOS communities.
Perplexity Pro: Airtel Partners for Wider Reach
Meanwhile, U.S.-based AI search startup Perplexity AI has partnered with Bharti Airtel to offer Perplexity Pro, its premium plan, to select Airtel users in India free of charge. The Pro tier typically offers advanced search capabilities, priority access to real-time responses, and access to multiple large language models, including Claude and GPT-4.
According to Perplexity, the company is offering this through a partnership with Airtel IQ, Airtel’s cloud communications platform. Users can activate Perplexity Pro through a custom co-branded landing page launched by Airtel, which verifies mobile numbers before granting access.
The initiative is seen as a significant step for Perplexity, which has been vying for a global user base amid competition from Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft Copilot. With this partnership, Perplexity not only increases its visibility in India but also leverages Airtel's vast telecom network to bring AI search tools to mobile-first users.
India: A Key Testbed for AI User Acquisition
India’s rapid digital adoption and mobile-first population have made it a critical testbed for global AI companies. Both Google and Perplexity’s recent offers indicate a broader strategy to onboard users through free trials and partnerships, hoping to convert them into long-term paid subscribers.
According to industry analysts, India presents both opportunity and challenge. While the user base is large and tech-aware, converting free users to paid subscriptions remains a hurdle due to sensitivity around digital service pricing.
These rollouts also follow OpenAI’s recent introduction of GPT-4o for free, and similar access models from Anthropic’s Claude.ai, as AI firms rush to gain traction in emerging markets.
What Users Get—and What They Don’t
While both Google and Perplexity are offering premium tools at no cost, the benefits are not uniform:
- Google AI Pro access depends on prior subscriptions or rollout windows. New users may still need to pay.
- Perplexity Pro via Airtel is currently available only to select Airtel subscribers and must be activated via a specific portal.
- Access to GPT-4, Claude, and real-time data via Perplexity remains a key draw, especially for professionals and students.
Both companies have not disclosed how long the free access will last, leading some users to speculate that this is a promotional or A/B testing phase before broader rollouts.