Perplexity tops Indian App Store after Airtel's free subscription offer
What's the story
Perplexity has become the number one app on Apple's App Store in India, dethroning popular AI chatbots such as ChatGPT. The surge in popularity comes after Airtel announced a free one-year subscription to Perplexity Pro for its customers. The offer is available for all Airtel users, including those using mobile, DTH, and broadband services. Interestingly, the Perplexity app saw a surge in downloads across all platforms following the announcement. However, ChatGPT continues to dominate on the Play Store.
Market impact
Perplexity now among India's top 3 markets
Perplexity's CEO, Aravind Srinivas, confirmed the achievement in a post on X. He said the app has topped the charts on India's App Store and that India is now among Perplexity's top three markets worldwide. The company's AI-powered "answer engine," which cites sources instead of generic chatbot replies, is being positioned as a direct alternative to Google Search and ChatGPT. Tapping into Airtel's vast user base, Perplexity instantly secured visibility and reach in one of the world's largest internet markets.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Srinivas's post
Perplexity is now the #1 overall app on App Store in India, ahead of ChatGPT. pic.twitter.com/d5Lw2R88b2
— Aravind Srinivas (@AravSrinivas) July 17, 2025
Offer features
How to activate the offer?
Airtel's offer bundles Perplexity Pro, usually priced at around $20/month, as a free add-on for eligible users via the Airtel Thanks app. The offer is valid for one year and runs until January 17, 2026. It provides access to advanced AI models such as GPT-4, Claude 3, among others, and promises faster response times, unlimited usage, and file uploads. Customers can activate the offer with a simple one-tap onboarding process.