Global AI firms are partnering with India’s telecom giants to offer free or subsidized access to premium chatbot services, betting that one of the world’s largest and youngest online populations will translate into long-term subscribers and valuable training data. OpenAI, Google and Perplexity are bundling tools with data plans from Reliance Jio and Airtel, tapping a 900-million-user market known for low data costs and heavy consumption. Analysts say the push is less generosity than customer acquisition at scale, with firms hoping even a small conversion rate of free users into paid tiers pays off. The strategy exploits India’s relatively flexible regulatory environment, as detailed AI rules are still pending under the country’s new data protection law, in contrast to stricter regimes in the EU and South Korea. Consumer advocates warn of privacy risks as users trade data for convenience, while policymakers face the challenge of tightening safeguards without choking innovation.
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Bharti Airtel
