AI and design tools become new telco differentiators

Bharti Airtel customers have limited time to claim the company’s complimentary Adobe Express Premium subscription, which was announced earlier this year as part of its digital rewards programme. The offer is available to all Airtel users, including broadband, prepaid, and postpaid subscribers, and provides access to the premium version of Adobe’s design and content creation tool for one year.

The annual subscription, which is priced at around Rs 4,000, can be redeemed between 29 January, 2026, and 28 January, 2027. Once claimed, users receive access for a full year from the date of activation. Customers can avail themselves of the benefit through the Airtel website or app by visiting the rewards section. Each subscriber is permitted to redeem the offer only once, and the company has stated that it reserves the right to modify, suspend, or withdraw the scheme at any time.

The Adobe Express offer follows a series of similar digital incentives introduced by Airtel in recent years. Previously, the company had partnered with Perplexity to provide customers with free access to Perplexity Pro, a subscription valued at approximately Rs 17,000 for one year. That offer has since been discontinued, although users who had already claimed it continue to retain access. Customers who missed the earlier scheme are no longer eligible, a situation that may also apply to those who fail to activate the current Adobe benefit before the deadline.

In addition to these partnerships, several Airtel plans include bundled access to services such as Google One, reflecting the company’s broader strategy to enhance the value of its telecom offerings through digital services. The introduction of tools such as Adobe Express and Perplexity Pro points to an effort to position Airtel as a provider of productivity and creative platforms alongside connectivity.

Rival operator Reliance Jio has pursued a similar approach through its parent company, Reliance Industries, and its technology arm, Reliance Intelligence. In October 2025, Jio announced a strategic partnership with Google to provide free access to Gemini AI Pro for selected users. The initiative targets customers aged between 18 and 25 who subscribe to eligible 5G Unlimited plans, starting at Rs 349 for both prepaid and postpaid users.

Under this scheme, qualifying customers can receive Gemini AI Pro access for 18 months, a package valued at approximately Rs 35,100. The subscription can be activated through the MyJio app and includes access to advanced features such as the Gemini 2.5 Pro model, deep research tools, limited video generation, and a range of productivity and development applications. It also provides 2 TB of cloud storage across Google’s services, including Photos, Drive, and Gmail.

The Jio-Google offer remains valid as long as users continue with an eligible 5G plan. Customers who already hold a paid Gemini Pro subscription can switch to the Jio-supported version once their existing term expires.

Together, these initiatives highlight how India’s leading telecom operators are increasingly using partnerships with global technology firms to add digital services to their portfolios. By bundling access to creative, productivity, and AI tools, companies such as Airtel and Jio are seeking to differentiate their offerings and deepen customer engagement beyond traditional voice and data services. For subscribers, however, the benefits are often time-bound, making timely activation essential to avoid missing out on these limited-period opportunities.

The image accompanying this story was created using AI. The article was written and reviewed by the author, with limited use of AI-based editing tools.