Perplexity’s promotional partnership with Indian telecom operator Airtel, which offered free 12-month Perplexity Pro subscriptions, drove 56 million downloads over its seven-month run. After new free redemptions ended in January 2026, downloads fell more than 90%, but monthly active users held at 14 million in July 2026, over five times the pre-promotion baseline. Perplexity’s India revenue rose roughly 60% in the months after the promotion ended, suggesting a share of users converted to paid plans.
