Google is catching up in India's AI Race with Jio Partnership
Could this be a bid to match rivals OpenAI and Perplexity, who've already captured millions of Indian users?
India has quietly become the world’s testing ground for artificial intelligence, and every major tech company wants in. The latest player to make its move is Google, partnering with Reliance Industries to bring Gemini AI Pro to millions of new users for free.
Starting October 30, eligible Jio customers can claim 18 months of free access to Gemini AI Pro, a package worth roughly ₹35,100 ($395) per user. The offer includes access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, image and video generation tools, NotebookLM for research, and 2TB of cloud storage, all designed to pull users deeper into Google’s growing AI ecosystem.
Plus, Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom provider, connects nearly half of the country’s internet users, more than 505 million people, according to Reuters. That kind of reach also gives Google a direct line to one of the biggest untapped AI markets on the planet.
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But this isn’t an isolated play. It’s part of an AI giveaway war. Three months ago, Perplexity partnered with Bharti Airtel to offer 360 million users a free year of Perplexity Pro. Days before Google’s rollout, OpenAI announced a similar year-long free plan for ChatGPT Go in India. What was once a competition for users is now a race to lock in data and loyalty.
That’s where the story turns. Every “free” AI plan comes with a hidden cost. The more users sign up, the more data these platforms can gather to train their models. No market offers that kind of scale, like India, home to 700 million smartphone users and more than a billion internet subscribers.
Abhishek Singh, CEO of India AI Mission, has warned that tools like ChatGPT are collecting massive amounts of Indian user data. Privacy experts agree, noting that by claiming these “free” subscriptions, people effectively become unpaid contributors to commercial AI systems.
Overall, this raises a larger question about power and ownership. Who really benefits when personal data becomes the price of admission to the AI revolution? With the Digital Personal Data Protection Act still being rolled out, India’s regulatory framework may not yet be ready for what’s coming.
How to Get the Free Plan
To redeem the offer, Jio users need to be on the 5G network with a prepaid plan of ₹349 ($3.9) or higher, or a valid postpaid plan. Open the MyJio app, look for the banner that says "Pro plan of Google Gemini FREE" on the home screen, tap it to claim, and follow the instructions to connect your Google account.
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