Perplexity's free-offer surge in India faded fast once the deal ended

Perplexity gave free premium access to Bharti Airtel customers in India, driving 56 million app downloads in seven months. After the offer closed on January 16, 2026, downloads fell to 3.3 million over the next six months — a drop of more than 90%. Perplexity has not said how many of those users stuck around or paid.