Perplexity AI to Offer Free Pro Version for Indian Students – Sign Up Now

Perplexity AI to Provide Free Pro Version for Indian Students, Targets One Million Subscriptions

Having a powerful AI assistant at your fingertips without paying a single rupee is now possible for Indian students. Perplexity AI, a conversational AI platform, has made the announcement that it will provide its Pro version for free, making students able to use advanced AI capabilities without any cost. The project was announced in an online session with Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma, where Perplexity co-founder and CEO Aravind Srinivas explained the company's ambitious plan.

"We feel that no student should be charged for the Pro version of Perplexity. Knowledge is the key to learning, and if we are the place 'where knowledge begins,' we need to remain committed to that," said Srinivas. But he did admit that a mass-market launch might prove difficult.

Targeting a Million Student Sign-ups

To turn this vision into a reality, Perplexity AI has begun collaborating with student groups on WhatsApp, promoting mass adoption. Their goal? One million sign-ups by mid-March.

The free Perplexity AI already provides essential features, but the Pro version, usually requiring a paid subscription, adds extra features such as image creation and unlimited uploads. As AI tools gain popularity across the world and with competition from sites like China's DeepSeek, more affordable and accessible AI resources are being demanded.

Indian developers earlier also voiced the same concerns to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during his visit last month, demanding AI services become more affordable. To meet this growing demand, Perplexity is developing an economical subscription plan while also offering the Pro plan for free to students.

 Investigating Cheap Subscription Models

Though students will be provided with free access, Perplexity AI is also developing a lower-cost model for other consumers. Presently, the Pro plan runs approximately $20 monthly, though the company is seeking to decrease the cost and provide more flexibility in payment.

We are working on a way to make the Pro plan available to everyone without them having to pay $20," Srinivas said. "Give us a few months, or even a few weeks, to work it out. Things are happening really quickly.

Streamlining the payment system is one of the greatest hurdles in making the service affordable, and it continues to be a significant barrier for students who lack access to international payment systems. Without localized payment systems, students might be cut off from enjoying the advantages of AI-based learning tools. Solving this problem is important to making sure that all students, irrespective of technical or monetary hurdles, get to benefit from the Pro features of Perplexity AI. Perplexity's premium features demand payment in U.S. dollars currently, which is a stumbling block for most Indian users. However, a collaboration with Paytm could change this.

 The Role of Paytm in AI Payments

Paytm already has Perplexity AI integrated into its platform, but a U.S. dollar payment is needed to subscribe to premium features. Srinivas confirmed the challenge in accepting payments from local currency via current platforms and was optimistic that Paytm would help overcome this problem.

“The UPI or Paytm payment system operates through Stripe APIs, and it is currently quite difficult to process these payments,” he said. “We are hoping to find a solution soon.”

Beyond payments, Srinivas highlighted how Perplexity AI’s collaboration with Paytm could help users verify entities they are transacting with, improving transparency and security in digital transactions.

 AI for Everyone

Perplexity's momentum is one of a broader movement to make AI tools available to more people, particularly in education. AI has the power to transform learning by making it possible to have access to knowledge in real time, aid research, and even create insights which can make things more understandable.

In so doing, Perplexity AI is not merely offering AI-facilitated learning solutions at mass levels but also showing an example of how technology firms should give back to learning and the sharing of knowledge.

While AI keeps revolutionizing the world, it is heartening to find corporations such as Perplexity AI setting a priority for students and ensuring knowledge remains affordable to all. If you're a student yourself or know one who would find this beneficial, let everyone know and be a part of it. Keep posted and sign up to maximize your exposure to this game-changer! With a million student registrations as their first target, this program could be the start of a significant change in AI accessibility in India.

At SkillBloomer.com, we believe that knowledge should be accessible to everyone, and Perplexity AI’s initiative to offer its Pro version for free to Indian students is a big step in the right direction. As AI continues to shape the future of learning, making such powerful tools available at no cost can empower millions of students. This aligns with our vision of leveraging technology to break educational barriers. We hope to see more AI companies take similar steps in democratizing learning opportunities. What are your thoughts on AI in education