Perplexity has launched a 12-month free Perplexity Pro subscription trial for around 360 million Airtel users in India. Initial data shows a 625% rise in downloads and over nine times higher total downloads across seven months compared to pre-promotion levels, with monthly active users peaking at 22 million in October. After the free period ended, downloads dropped by more than 90% but MAU remained around 14 million in July, five times higher than the prior half-year average. In-app purchases and subscription revenue rose about 60% from February to mid-August 2026, with daily revenue rising 9% over a three-day period and monthly net revenue climbing from $34,000 in January 2025 to $156,000 in July 2026, on track for $878,000 in the first seven months of 2026. However, the growth may include users who did not cancel subscriptions or non-participant customers drawn by brand exposure, and Perplexity’s long-term conversion rate remains to be verified as more users reach renewal. India is a key test market for AI companies seeking to convert free users into paid subscribers on scale.