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Airtel Free Subscription: Bharti Airtel has quietly pulled the plug on one of its most popular digital perks, leaving many Airtel users surprised. The telecom giant has confirmed that Airtel customers will no longer receive a free subscription to Perplexity Pro, a premium AI-powered service that was previously included with select plans at no additional cost.

While the move may appear sudden, Airtel had always clarified that the offer was available only for a limited period. The Perplexity Pro plan priced at Rs 17,000 per year. The service was introduced as a special, short-term benefit to enhance Airtel’s prepaid plans and give users a taste of premium AI capabilities.

Why Airtel ended the Perplexity Pro offer

Airtel launched its Perplexity Pro partnership in 2025, clearly mentioning that free access would be available only until January 16, 2026. Now that the deadline has passed, the company has removed the Perplexity Pro benefit from its prepaid plans, meaning new users can no longer activate it.

For customers who activated Perplexity Pro before the deadline, there’s no need to worry. Airtel has confirmed that these users will continue to enjoy the subscription for a full year from the activation date, without any extra charges. In short, existing users will keep their benefits until they naturally expire. (Also Read: WhatsApp Paid Subscription Plan: Users may get exclusive stickers, chat ringtones, Meta AI thinking mode and more)

Adding further, users who activate Perplexity Pro will need to provide their billing details going forward. If the subscription is not canceled after the free trial or promotional period ends, it will automatically convert into a paid plan. Airtel has advised users who do not wish to continue the service to cancel in advance to avoid any unexpected charges.

Adobe Express Premium: 360 million users get free access to creative AI tools

Even though Perplexity Pro is no longer free, Airtel is keeping its focus on digital perks. The company recently announced a partnership with Adobe, giving around 360 million Airtel users free access to Adobe Express Premium. Normally priced at nearly Rs 4,000 per year, this subscription lets users explore Adobe’s generative AI tools and a range of creative features at no cost. It will be available at no cost for one year to all Airtel mobile, Wi-Fi, and DTH customers via the Airtel Thanks App, with no credit card required. (Also Read: Zoom Hacking Alert in India: Government issues high-risk warning; How to keep your video calls or meetings safe)

Across the telecom sector, competitors are also stepping up their digital offerings. Reliance Jio, for example, is including a free subscription to Google Gemini with select recharge plans. This highlights how AI-powered services are quickly becoming a major selling point in India’s telecom market.