Inspired by the Indian government’s decision to provide free access to 13,000 academic journals for 18 million students, faculty, and researchers, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas extended a unique proposal. The CEO of the leading AI company expressed interest in collaborating with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make Perplexity Pro, the company’s advanced AI tool, accessible to the same audience.
In a tweet on Sunday, Srinivas wrote: “If @narendramodi ji is interested, I would be down to figuring out an economic structure where all Indian students, faculty, and researchers can get Perplexity Pro.”
The Indian government’s initiative, which costs $715 million over three years, grants free access to prestigious journals like Elsevier, Nature, and AAAS for millions across the country’s academic and research ecosystem. The move has sparked admiration globally, with questions about whether other nations might follow suit.
This transformative policy aligns with India’s push to make knowledge resources more inclusive and accessible, providing a platform for further innovation and research.
Perplexity Pro offers advanced AI-powered tools that could benefit researchers, educators, and students by streamlining information access and enhancing learning outcomes. By proposing an economically viable structure, Srinivas aims to expand the impact of AI in India’s education and research sectors.
The proposal builds on the momentum of the government’s journal initiative, highlighting how public-private partnerships can redefine access to knowledge in the digital age.
Srinivas’s follow-up offer underscores a growing interest in scalable solutions that enhance education and research globally. With AI emerging as a critical tool for learning and problem-solving, such partnerships could set a precedent for other nations to adopt.