Perplexity Airtel tie-up gives 360 million Indians free Perplexity Pro year
Perplexity, the AI platform, blew up in India after teaming with Airtel to give 360 million customers a free year of Perplexity Pro.
In July alone, downloads jumped by 625%, hitting 5.9 million, and over seven months, the app was downloaded 56 million times (that's more than nine times what they had before).
Perplexity revenue rises 60% post promotion
Not only did tons of people try out Perplexity, but monthly active users peaked at 22 million and stayed high even after the promotion ended in January 2026.
Despite fewer downloads after the promotion, in-app purchase and subscription revenue still grew by about 60%, with earnings in early 2026 already topping all of last year.
This move also helped Perplexity stand out in India's crowded AI market and became an early test of whether the strategy can work.