IIT Madras students and staff to get free access to Perplexity AI's Pro version

Students, faculty and staff of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) will now have free access to the Pro (advanced) version of Perplexity AI, a conversational search engine.

This was announced by Perplexity AI’s Founder and CEO, Aravind Srinivas, an alumnus of IIT Madras. He completed B.Tech and M.Tech in electrical engineering form the Chennai-based institution.

"IIT Madras has significantly shaped the person I am today. With this collaboration, I am optimistic about how the future generation will build remarkable AI products and models globally and in India," said Srinivas, in a statement.

Perplexity AI blends real-time internet search with conversational AI to deliver answers in a dialogue-like format. Its Pro Search is an advanced feature that digs deep and gives pinpoint results, and goes beyond Quick Search that gives basic responses.

By offering its Pro version, the company aims to empower students and faculty with access to enhanced AI models, deeper search capabilities, and a more robust research toolset.

The Pro version costs $20 a month and offers over 300 Pro searches per day, access to multiple AI models like GPT-4 and Claude-3, unlimited file uploads and analysis, and $5/month in API credits. Non-paying users are limited to just three Pro searches daily.

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"With Pro, students unlock the top AI models and unlimited pro searches. We are excited to partner with Dr. Aravind and Perplexity to offer this resource to all. The institute thanks Aravind for this generous gesture,” said Professor V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras.

Srinivas emphasised his commitment to giving back to his alma mater. “Knowledge is power, and one of its most powerful things is that it is available to anyone who wants to achieve it. AI native search is changing how future generations learn and consume information online, and it is an honor to make Perplexity Pro available to all students at my alma mater."

Meanwhile, the web search platform is looking to hire an executive to expand its operations in India.

In a post on LinkedIn, Srinivas said, “I am looking to recruit someone to work together on growing Perplexity in India. It will be fun and intense. You must be based in India and willing to travel and meet with strategic partners and institutions—scrappy startup mode.”

Last month, Srinivas met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss AI’s transformative potential in the country.