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Bharti Airtel has once again made headlines in India’s telecom sector, this time by discontinuing a widely loved digital perk and introducing a new one. Millions of users were caught off guard as the company ended its free subscription to Perplexity Pro, a premium AI-powered service, while simultaneously giving Adobe Express Premium access to 360 million customers for free. This strategic move underscores Airtel’s evolving approach to digital engagement and highlights how AI tools are becoming integral to telecom offerings in India.
Airtel Pulls the Plug on Perplexity Pro
Launched in 2025, Perplexity Pro was introduced as a limited-time benefit to enhance Airtel’s prepaid plans, letting users explore premium AI capabilities without paying the hefty annual fee of Rs 17,000. Airtel had clarified at the outset that this free subscription was available only until January 16, 2026. Now that the deadline has passed, new users can no longer activate the service.
For existing users who subscribed before the cut-off, Airtel has assured uninterrupted access for a full year from the date of activation at no extra cost. Customers are advised to monitor their subscription, as failing to cancel it after the promotional period could automatically convert it into a paid plan. This clear policy ensures that loyal users continue to enjoy the service without unexpected charges.
Adobe Express Premium: A New Free Perk for Millions
To maintain its focus on digital advantages, Airtel has partnered with Adobe to provide Adobe Express Premium to roughly 360 million users, free for one year. Normally priced at Rs 4,000 per year, this subscription offers access to Adobe’s creative AI tools, templates, and other premium features. It is available to all Airtel mobile, Wi-Fi, and DTH customers via the Airtel Thanks App, and remarkably, no credit card is required to activate it.
This shift signals a strategic move by Airtel to maintain its competitive edge in a telecom market increasingly driven by digital services and AI-powered offerings. Competitors, such as Reliance Jio, are also investing in similar AI-powered perks, like free access to Google Gemini with select plans, highlighting a growing trend across India’s telecom industry.
What Undercode Say:
Airtel’s move to replace Perplexity Pro with Adobe Express Premium is both calculated and user-centric. By ending the costly AI subscription and replacing it with a widely appealing creative suite, Airtel strengthens its value proposition without alienating its customer base.
From a market perspective, this transition reflects a broader trend: telecom providers are no longer competing solely on network speed or coverage but increasingly on digital services and AI integration. Offering AI tools like Adobe Express Premium for free boosts user engagement, encourages long-term loyalty, and subtly introduces users to premium software ecosystems, potentially creating future paying customers.
Strategically, this shift also highlights the growing demand for creative and generative AI tools in India, where mobile-first users are eager to explore content creation, graphic design, and multimedia production without initial investment. By targeting 360 million users, Airtel not only positions itself as a tech-forward brand but also builds a massive dataset on user engagement with AI tools, which can inform future product development.
However, the move is not without challenges. Users accustomed to Perplexity Pro’s AI capabilities may need time to transition to Adobe’s creative suite. Moreover, maintaining such large-scale digital perks will require Airtel to continuously innovate to ensure these offerings remain relevant and valuable.
This decision may also influence competitors to rethink their own digital bundles. Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, and other operators might accelerate partnerships with AI or creative tool providers to retain users, fueling a digital services arms race in India’s telecom sector.
Fact Checker Results:
✅ Airtel ended the Perplexity Pro free subscription on January 16, 2026 – confirmed by official sources.
✅ Adobe Express Premium will be free for 360 million Airtel users for one year – no credit card needed.
❌ No evidence suggests Airtel is charging users automatically without consent; standard subscription rules apply.
Prediction:
✅ This move could significantly boost Airtel Thanks App engagement, as millions explore Adobe AI tools.
✅ Airtel may expand AI-powered perks beyond Adobe Express, potentially integrating learning, gaming, or productivity platforms.
✅ Competitors like Reliance Jio are likely to respond with new AI subscriptions, escalating digital service competition in India’s telecom market.
If you want, I can also create a visual timeline showing the transition from Perplexity Pro to Adobe Express Premium and user benefits—it would make this story more digestible for readers. Do you want me to do that?
🕵️📝✔️Let’s dive deep and fact‑check.
References:
Reported By: zeenews.india.com
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