HIGHLIGHTS 

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Go at Rs 399/month, its cheapest India-only plan with GPT-5 access.

Google Gemini Pro leverages deep integration with Gmail, Docs, Drive, plus Veo 3 video tool.

Musk’s Grok undercuts rivals at Rs 700/month, while Airtel offers Perplexity Pro free for a year.

Artificial Intelligence has become a part of our everyday routines. Whether it’s writing emails, generating code, creating videos, or conducting in-depth research, AI tools are slowly turning into productivity companions for millions of Indians. And with competition heating up, AI companies are offering attractive subscription plans designed to fit every kind of user, from students to professionals to large enterprises.

On August 19, OpenAI rolled out its most affordable plan in India – ChatGPT Go at Rs 399 per month. With this, the AI race in India has intensified, giving users a wide range of choices between ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Elon Musk’s Grok, and the fast-rising Perplexity AI. But with so many options, how do you know which plan fits your needs? Let’s break them down.

ChatGPT Plans: Go, Plus, and Pro

OpenAI has introduced three tiers for Indian users.

ChatGPT Go (Rs 399/month): This India-exclusive entry plan gives users access to GPT-5, the most advanced AI model. It comes with 10× more messages than the free plan, image generation, file uploads, and longer memory. However, it does not include advanced video generation with Sora or third-party connectors. Designed for students, freelancers, and first-time AI users, it’s OpenAI’s way of making premium AI accessible to the masses.

ChatGPT Plus (Rs 1,999/month): This plan is for users who want more. It unlocks GPT-4o for real-time reasoning, access to Sora for video generation, integration with apps through connectors, and advanced research tools. Expanded memory lets you hold longer conversations, revisit past chats, and upload multiple files or images.

ChatGPT Pro (Rs 19,900/month): Targeted at businesses and developers, this premium plan offers enterprise-grade features, priority access to new tools, and early testing of experimental models.

With India-specific pricing, OpenAI has clearly positioned itself to win over students and professionals who want AI on a budget. 

Google Gemini Pro

Google has also stepped up its AI game with Gemini Pro at Rs 1,950 per month.

The plan provides access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, Google’s most advanced reasoning model, capable of analysing complex problems and generating solutions in seconds. Its most significant advantage is integration across Google apps. For instance, in Gmail, it can draft professional emails, in Docs, it can create summaries and reports, and in Meet, it can clean up video calls by adjusting lighting and reducing background noise.

Creative users benefit from Veo 3, Google’s AI video tool that turns simple text prompts into cinematic-quality videos. Students and researchers can make use of Deep Research, which scans hundreds of sites to produce detailed reports, and NotebookLM, a tool that organises notes, research material, and even generates audio summaries. To sweeten the deal, Gemini Pro also comes with 2 TB of Google Drive storage.

In short, Gemini’s strength lies in being deeply embedded in the Google ecosystem, making it ideal for those who already rely heavily on Gmail, Docs, and Drive. 

xAI’s SuperGrok

Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, is pushing hard in India with its SuperGrok plan at just Rs 700 per month (compared to $30 in the US). This price cut is aimed squarely at Indian students, coders, and content creators.

SuperGrok includes access to Grok 3 and Grok 4, AI models built for problem-solving, coding, and creative projects. Subscribers can use DeepSearch for in-depth summaries, Think Mode for complex reasoning, and Big Brain Mode for brainstorming. With an extended memory of 128,000 tokens, Grok is well-suited for long, technical conversations.

The plan also unlocks image and video generation, with up to 100 videos per day, far more than what free users get. In March 2025, Grok added Voice Mode and image-editing tools, making it a versatile companion for mobile users.

Given its aggressive pricing and Elon Musk’s brand power, SuperGrok is quickly becoming popular among Indian AI enthusiasts. 

Perplexity Pro

Perplexity has carved out its niche as a search-focused AI assistant that gives direct answers backed by real-time citations. Its Pro plan costs around Rs 1,999 per month (or Rs 16,500 annually).

The biggest highlight is that Airtel customers get one year of Perplexity Pro free, worth nearly Rs 17,000, via the Airtel Thanks app. This makes it the most accessible premium AI plan for millions of Indian mobile and broadband users.

Perplexity Pro offers access to multiple leading AI models – including GPT-5, Claude 4, Grok 4, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Perplexity’s own Sonar and R1 models. Users also get Deep Research tools, unlimited file and photo uploads, image and video generation, and Perplexity Labs for creating charts, tables, and even mini-apps.

Unlike most chatbots, Perplexity is designed to work as a reliable research engine, saving all past searches for later reference.