What coverage agrees on
Reports agree that Perplexity AI experienced a massive surge in downloads and active users in India due to its partnership with Airtel, and that maintaining these numbers after the free period ends is a major test.
India · India
Perplexity retains millions of active users in India after Airtel partnership
CATCH ME UP
Perplexity AI maintained a significant user base and rising mobile revenue in India following a year-long promotional partnership with Bharti Airtel.
The 2025 campaign provided 360 million Airtel subscribers with a complimentary Perplexity Pro subscription.
The promotion drove 56 million downloads and pushed monthly active users to nearly 22 million.
New downloads dropped significantly by about 90 percent after the promotion officially ended.
More context
Despite the drop in new downloads, active users and in-app revenue remained above pre-campaign levels.
Analysts caution that it remains unclear how much of the ongoing growth stems from voluntary user renewals versus accidental auto-renewals.
The partnership successfully expanded the Indian user base, but now faces a crucial test of organic subscriber conversion.
Market intelligence data from Sensor Tower and Appfigures highlighted these trends in mobile metrics.
The situation illustrates the challenges AI companies face in converting promotional users into paying subscribers.
Observing future retention rates will determine the long-term viability of AI service models in emerging markets.
AGREEMENT VS DISAGREEMENT
What lines up. What splits.
A quick read on shared facts, changing details, and different emphasis.
What is changing or disputed
It remains uncertain whether current active users and revenue figures will hold as free subscriptions fully lapse and the true rate of voluntary conversions becomes clear.
HOW COVERAGE DIFFERS
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Neutral2
Data from market intelligence firms Sensor Tower and Appfigures indicates that Perplexity AI retained nearly 22 million monthly active users in India following the conclusion of its year-long promotional tie-up with Bharti Airtel. While the campaign drove 56 million downloads during the redemption window, subsequent new download rates declined sharply. Both active user counts and in-app revenue have stabilized above pre-campaign levels, though the exact drivers of continued revenue require further observation.
STORY TIMELINEHow the coverage developed
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How the coverage developed
FIRST-PARTY STATEMENTS
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Perplexity retains millions of active users in India post Airtel tie-up
Quick source take
According to market intelligence data from Sensor Tower and Appfigures, Perplexity AI maintained a significant user base and rising mobile revenue in India following a year-long promotional partnership with Bharti Airtel. The 2025 campaign provided 360 million Airtel subscribers with a complimentary Perplexity Pro subscription, driving 56 million downloads and pushing monthly active users to nearly 22 million. Although new downloads dropped significantly after the promotion ended, active users and in-app revenue remained above pre-campaign levels, though analysts caution it remains unclear how much growth stems from voluntary renewals versus auto-renewals.
Perplexity’s Airtel deal brought millions of users in India. Now comes the test of who will pay
Quick source take
Storyboard18 reports that Perplexity's year-long free subscription partnership with Airtel successfully expanded its Indian user base and mobile revenue, but faces a crucial test as free trials expire. Citing data from Sensor Tower and Appfigures, the article details a surge to 56 million downloads during the redemption window followed by a 90% drop after it closed. While active users and revenue have surprisingly grown post-promotion, analysts note the data cannot yet confirm whether this revenue stems from conscious subscriber conversions or accidental auto-renewals from passive users.