On July 17, 2025, Bharti Airtel, a dominant force in India’s telecom sector, unveiled a pioneering alliance with Perplexity AI, providing a complimentary 12-month subscription to Perplexity Pro—worth around ₹17,000—to its 360 million subscribers. Accessible through the Airtel Thanks app for mobile, broadband, and DTH customers, this initiative, launched at 10:18 AM IST on July 22, 2025, aims to revolutionize digital engagement in India. This piece examines Perplexity AI’s effectiveness for users, contrasting it with Grok 3 (by xAI) and GPT-based models, and its significance for Airtel’s expansive audience.

Perplexity AI: Capabilities and User Effectiveness

Perplexity Pro, driven by its innovative DeepSeek R1 engine, delivers cutting-edge AI features tailored for Indian users. Notable aspects include:

• Instantaneous searches with interactive, source-referenced replies from up to 50 references.
• In-depth analysis tools for uploading documents, reviewing files, and generating summaries, finishing tasks in roughly three minutes.
• Creative options such as image creation and access to Perplexity Labs.
• A daily cap of 300 AI-enhanced searches.

This free offering, available to Airtel’s varied demographic—including students, professionals, and homemakers—removes financial hurdles, boosting productivity. Activation is seamless, with near-immediate responses, perfect for swift learning or research. However, its performance might falter with highly specific queries due to dependence on online data, and tailored responses are still developing due to limited past user insights in India.

Comparison with Grok 3

Grok 3, available through xAI’s platforms like grok.com and x.com, presents a different profile:

• Speed: Grok’s DeepSearch function handles queries 10 times quicker than ChatGPT’s Deep Research, utilizing real-time X data and over 100 sources. Its BigBrain mode achieves 93.3% accuracy on the 2025 AIME benchmark.
• Strengths: Shines in logical reasoning, coding, and trend spotting, delivering engaging, story-like answers.
• Drawbacks: Offers limited citation support, with occasional errors needing user checks.

Effectiveness Comparison:

• Perplexity surpasses Grok for tasks requiring factual accuracy and references, appealing to those who prioritize verifiable information.
• Grok excels in complex problem-solving or live updates, catering to tech enthusiasts but constrained by free-tier limits.
• For Airtel users, Perplexity’s no-cost access and web-focused approach ensure wider reach, while Grok’s specialized capabilities require a paid upgrade (e.g., SuperGrok) for optimal use.

Comparison with GPT-Based Models

GPT-based models, such as ChatGPT (OpenAI) or Gemini (Google), serve as key benchmarks:

• Speed and Depth: GPT-4.1, featured in ChatGPT Pro, provides strong conversational depth but lags 9x behind Perplexity’s DeepSeek R1 for research tasks. Perplexity completes detailed analyses in three minutes, while GPT may be slower without real-time data.
• Strengths: GPT excels in natural dialogue and customization, leveraging extensive training data, with a 21.1% score on the Humanity Last Exam Benchmark.
• Drawbacks: Misses Perplexity’s real-time web integration and citation emphasis, with premium access at ₹2,000/year versus Perplexity’s free Airtel deal.

Effectiveness Comparison:

• Perplexity’s live search and reference system make it more effective for current, evidence-based queries, suiting Airtel’s broad market.
• GPT shines in creative writing or personalized interactions, but its efficiency wanes without a subscription, unlike Perplexity’s year-long free trial.
• Users may prefer Perplexity for routine tasks, while GPT fits longer creative projects.

User Effectiveness and Airtel’s Influence

Airtel’s free Perplexity Pro subscription, active until July 2026 for initial users, enhances productivity by offering premium AI features without charge. Its rapid response times and research tools align with India’s rising digital demands, supported by Airtel’s strong infrastructure (e.g., blocking 1.8 lakh malicious links with AI in Telangana). Yet, transitioning to ₹17,000/year post-trial may deter cost-conscious users, and personalization trails GPT due to data constraints.

Against Grok 3’s targeted focus and GPT’s paid model, Perplexity’s free access gives Airtel users a practical advantage. Initial user reactions praise its insightful replies, though sustained effectiveness hinges on engagement and data refinement. With 360 million potential users, this partnership could reshape AI usage in India, especially for education and work efficiency.

Airtel’s collaboration with Perplexity AI delivers a free, high-performing AI solution to 360 million users starting July 2025. Outperforming GPT in real-time research and rivaling Grok’s speed with greater accessibility, Perplexity Pro boosts user effectiveness for data-driven tasks. While Grok leads in reasoning and GPT in personalization, Perplexity’s free year via Airtel makes it a versatile option for India’s diverse populace. As users adopt it through the Airtel Thanks app, its performance will grow, potentially redefining AI adoption by July 2026.