Airtel has discontinued its complimentary Perplexity Pro subscription benefit launched last year. The subscription was valued at Rs. 17,000 annually and was redeemable through the Airtel Thanks app. This complementary subscription has now ended for its 360 million customers, and has been replaced by a new Adobe offer that is equally lucrative.
AirTel-Perplexity Pro was a limited-time promotion offer
The telecom giant launched the partnership with Perplexity AI in mid-2025, providing subscribers with a free one-year subscription to the premium AI-powered service valued at approximately Rs. 17,000 annually. The offer, redeemable through the Airtel Thanks app, was explicitly marketed as a time-bound promotion from its inception.
According to Airtel's original terms and conditions, the free subscription could only be activated until January 16. Following this deadline, the benefit has been removed from the company's prepaid plan listings and digital portals.
Existing subscribers retain access
Customers who activated their Perplexity Pro subscription before the deadline will continue to enjoy access for the full year from their activation date, the company confirmed. However, users who failed to claim the benefit before January 16 are no longer eligible for the complimentary service.
A technical requirement of the offer mandated users to provide billing details during activation. Industry observers noted that subscribers must remember to cancel the subscription before the promotional period expires to avoid automatic renewal at the commercial rate.
Adobe Express Premium replaces Perplexity Pro
To compensate for the withdrawal of Perplexity Pro, Airtel has introduced a new digital benefit for its customer base. The operator is now offering free access to Adobe Express Premium, normally priced at nearly Rs. 4,000 per year, to all prepaid and fixed broadband customers for a one-year period.
The Adobe Express Premium subscription provides users with access to generative AI tools and creative features, requiring no credit card details for activation through the Airtel Thanks app.
Industry competitor Reliance Jio has similarly bundled digital services with its plans, including complimentary Google Gemini subscriptions with select recharge packages.
