Perplexity's India revenue hits $156,000 a month after Airtel giveaway ends

What happened

In July 2026, Perplexity’s mobile revenue in India fell to $156,000 per month after the free Airtel Pro subscription giveaway ended, and app downloads dropped by more than 90%.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

The steep revenue drop shows Perplexity’s reliance on promotional subsidies, indicating that without ongoing incentives the service may struggle to generate sustainable cash flow in India. Investors should watch whether the company can convert free users into paying customers.

Analyst inference

India’s mobile app market often partners with telecom operators to acquire users, offering free data or subscription bundles that temporarily boost downloads. When such promotions stop, many apps experience sharp revenue and usage declines as users revert to free alternatives.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. Watch if Perplexity launches a new paid‑subscription model or pricing plan in India to replace the expired Airtel Pro giveaway, which could stabilize revenue if users find value. Proposed
2. Monitor competitor apps that also use telecom partnerships; if they introduce similar promotions, the market may see a temporary uplift followed by comparable post‑promotion revenue drops. Analyst inference
3. Observe Perplexity’s overall user acquisition cost trends, as high costs to replace giveaway‑driven users could pressure cash flow and affect future capital‑raising needs. Analyst inference

Evidence

• cryptopolitan.com