On Thursday, Reliance and Google announced a partnership to offer the Google AI Pro plan to Jio users for free.
Know which free AI subscription plan offers the best value
India has become a battleground for telecom companies and artificial intelligence (AI) firms. All the major AI companies have either partnered with telecom service providers to provide free access to their paid subscriptions or are offering these deals independently. In July, Airtel partnered with Perplexity to offer its entire user base of 30 million a free Perplexity Pro subscription for 12 months. Earlier this week, OpenAI announced it would soon offer the ChatGPT Go subscription for free for one year. Now, Reliance and Google are providing Jio users with an 18-month free Google AI Pro subscription.
This intense competition to build a solid user base in India has given consumers a unique opportunity to claim multiple offers and try out premium services from top AI companies. However, since these deals are time-limited, it's important to assess which AI platform provides the most value for your needs and is most useful for your daily tasks.
On the surface, Jio's Google AI Pro plan promises one of the richest AI offers yet in India, with 18 months of Gemini Pro access, 2TB cloud storage, and image/video generation tools worth roughly Rs. 35,100. Meanwhile, Airtel and Perplexity rolled out a 12-month free Perplexity Pro subscription for all Airtel users in India, worth roughly Rs. 17,000.
OpenAI's ChatGPT Go is the “entry-level” paid plan previously, but starting November 4, 2025, Indian users can access it free for one year. So each plan is free, but with different durations, requirements and features. The important work starts in the details.
Once you subscribe to the Google AI Pro plan, priced at ₹1,950 per month, you unlock higher access to the more powerful Gemini 2.5 Pro model. This plan also enables advanced tools such as Deep Research, which isn't available on the free tier. But the real highlight here is Veo 3.1 Fast. It allows you to turn text prompts into videos, complete with native audio, opening up a new way to create visual content with just a description.
The subscription further integrates the Gemini sidebar into Google Workspace apps like Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Sheets. That means you can bring Gemini's AI capabilities directly into your daily workflow, from drafting emails and organising documents to analysing spreadsheets and more.
But it comes with caveats. Eligibility is limited to Jio users aged 18 to 25 with an active unlimited 5G plan. So, older users might need to wait longer before getting access. Additionally, if you're not a fan of Google apps and prefer the Apple or Microsoft ecosystem instead, half the value is gone.
Airtel decided to play a different card. Instead of a Google-stack heavy tool, it offers Perplexity Pro, a multi-model AI search and answer engine, which is free for 12 months to all its customers across prepaid, postpaid, broadband, and DTH. Features include advanced first-party and third-party AI models, more than 300 Pro searches per day, real-time citations, and file and image uploads.
For users whose AI use leans toward research, search, and asking deeper questions rather than media generation or cloud storage, this may be a smart pick. However, this subscription is not for those who want to casually chat with the AI, generate funny images, or just spend some time doing non-productive things.
For many, the simplest choice may be ChatGPT Go. OpenAI will make this plan free for one year in India starting November 4. It normally costs Rs. 399 a month. The plan gives you access to the most affordable premium tier of ChatGPT. If you're looking for broad access, such as writing help, coding assistance, general tasks, or just a conversation partner, ChatGPT Go is a strong starting point.
But it may not come with the massive cloud storage or ultra-specialised research and search tools of the other offers. Its strength lies in general-purpose capability and brand trust. After one year, you'll need to pay or downgrade. For users who don't want to commit to a telco plan, this is likely the easiest to switch into.
| Plan | Free Duration | Key Features | Eligibility | After Free Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini Pro (Jio) | 18 months | Gemini 2.5 Pro access, 2TB cloud storage, image and video generation, Workspace integration | Jio's unlimited 5G plan users aged 18–25 (initial rollout) | Likely revert to free/basic or pay full price |
| Perplexity Pro (Airtel) | 12 months | Multi-model research, 300+ Pro searches per day, Reports, premium features in Comet | All Airtel mobile, broadband, and DTH users | Revert to free/basic or pay full price |
| ChatGPT Go (OpenAI) | 12 months (India) | GPT-5, image generation, Canvas, Deep Research | Any user signing up after Nov 4 | Downgrade to free tier or pay Rs. 399 a month |
If you're deeply embedded in Google's ecosystem, rely on cloud storage, want to create images and edit images on Nano Banana or generate Veo 3 videos, and meet the Jio eligibility, Gemini Pro is compelling. The 2TB storage alone could sway many.
But, if your use case is research, asking advanced questions, exploring multi-model answers or doing lots of search and analysis, and you own an active Airtel SIM card, then Perplexity Pro is a smart move. As a bonus, you also get premium features on the Comet browser.
Finally, if you are a general-purpose user who wants an AI assistant for writing assistance, strong reasoning, and random conversations, and prefers flexibility without the telecom-tie-in, then ChatGPT Go is your best bet. It may not have the strongest bells and whistles for now, but it's broad-based and comes equipped with one of the top large language models (LLMs) in GPT-5.
Is the Airtel Perplexity Pro offer really free for all users?
Yes, according to Airtel, all active mobile, broadband and DTH users can claim the one-year free subscription.
What is the "twist" with the Jio Gemini Pro offer?
During the initial rollout, it is only available to users aged 18 to 25 with an active unlimited 5G plan.
Can I get the 2TB of Google One storage permanently with the Jio offer?
No, the promotion includes 2TB of Google Cloud storage for the duration of the offer, which is 18 months from the day of activation.
What happens after the free trial ends for these plans?
After the free period (18 months for Jio, 12 months for Airtel, 12 months for ChatGPT Go India) you will likely revert to a free/basic tier or must pay the standard subscription price to continue full access.
Can I get both the Jio and Airtel AI offers?
If you have both Jio and Airtel SIM cards with an active plan in each, yes, you can get both AI offers.
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