Perplexity AI Targets India With Airtel Partnership to Challenge OpenAI’s Market Lead

Perplexity AI has launched an aggressive expansion strategy in India, positioning itself as a direct challenger to OpenAI’s dominance in the generative AI space. The San Francisco-based startup has partnered with Bharti Airtel to offer 360 million users a free 12-month subscription to Perplexity Pro, valued at ₹19,900, marking one of the largest AI rollouts in the country.

Key Highlights From Perplexity’s India Push

- Downloads in India surged 600 percent year-over-year in Q2 2025, reaching 2.8 million  
- Monthly active users grew 640 percent, making India Perplexity’s largest market by user base  
- ChatGPT still leads with 19.8 million MAUs, but Perplexity’s growth outpaced its 350 percent rise  
- CEO Aravind Srinivas pledged $1 million and personal time to support India’s AI ecosystem  

Strategic Partnerships and Monetization Challenges

- Airtel deal is exclusive, locking out other telcos and giving Perplexity unmatched reach across mobile, broadband, and DTH platforms  
- Perplexity also partnered with Paytm to integrate its AI search into one of India’s top fintech apps  
- Despite rapid growth, monetization remains a hurdle—Perplexity’s global Q2 revenue hit $8 million, far behind ChatGPT’s $773 million  
- India’s price-sensitive market poses challenges, but even 1 percent conversion from Airtel users could yield ₹71.64 billion in annual revenue  

Outlook

India’s AI market is projected to triple to $17 billion by 2027. Perplexity’s scale-first strategy, combined with local partnerships and model diversity, positions it as a formidable contender in the global AI race.

Sources: TechCrunch, Tribune Pakistan, Hindustan Times, Investing.com