This guide covers 15 free AI tools for small business in India, grouped by the job they do. For each one, we explain what you get for free, where the free plan stops, and what it costs to upgrade if you outgrow it.
One quick reality check first. Several of the big “free for a year” offers from 2025 have now closed. Airtel’s Perplexity Pro deal ended in early 2026, Jio’s free Google AI Pro offer closed to new claims on 29 October 2026, and the first free ChatGPT Go years are now reaching their end. Everything in this list has a free plan you can use without a telecom tie-up.
How to Use This List
Don’t try all 15 at once. Pick the one problem that eats the most of your time each week, whether that’s replying to customers, making posts, writing descriptions or translating. Try the tool for that job for two weeks, then decide whether to keep it.
A word on data: free AI tools are fine for drafting and brainstorming, but think twice before pasting customer phone numbers, payment details or anything confidential into them.
AI Assistants for Everyday Work
These are the general-purpose tools you’ll use most: drafting messages, writing product descriptions, replying to reviews, summarising documents and answering questions.
1. ChatGPT
ChatGPT’s free plan gives you the core assistant for writing, brainstorming, explaining and summarising, with usage limits.
It’s useful for product descriptions, Instagram captions, polite replies to difficult customers, and quick explanations of GST or contract terms. Always double-check anything legal or financial.
ChatGPT Go costs ₹399 a month and ChatGPT Plus costs ₹1,999 a month in India. If you claimed the free ChatGPT Go year in late 2025, check your renewal date: it renews at ₹399 a month unless cancelled, and UPI users should check for an active autopay mandate.
2. Google Gemini
The Gemini app is free with usage limits, and it works inside Gmail, Docs and Drive if you already use Google’s tools.
In June 2026, Google announced that small businesses can connect their Google Business Profile to Gemini to analyse performance, draft review replies and update hours and posts. Google hasn’t said which of these features are free, so check inside the app.
Google AI Plus costs ₹399 a month and Google AI Pro costs ₹1,950 a month.
3. Claude
Claude has a free plan with daily usage limits, and it’s especially good with long documents and careful writing.
Use it to read a long supplier contract, tender or policy and pull out what matters, or to turn rough notes into a clean proposal. Claude Pro costs ₹1,999 a month on the Indian App Store.
4. Perplexity
Perplexity’s free plan answers questions using live web search and shows its sources.
It’s good for quick market research when you want to see where an answer came from, such as checking competitor prices, finding suppliers, or looking up a new regulation. Airtel’s free Perplexity Pro offer closed to new sign-ups in January 2026, but the regular free plan still works.
5. Microsoft Copilot
Copilot has a free version for chat, writing and image generation.
It suits small businesses that live in Word, Excel and Outlook, since the paid Microsoft 365 plans add Copilot inside those apps. Microsoft 365 Personal costs ₹689 a month or ₹6,899 a year in India.
6. Meta AI
Meta AI is built into WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger, and it has supported Hindi since July 2024.
It’s handy for quick help without opening a new app, such as drafting a message, translating a reply or generating an image idea, right from the WhatsApp you already use all day.
Curious how assistants differ from agents - click here
Selling and Talking to Customers
7. WhatsApp Business App
The WhatsApp Business app is free. It includes a product catalogue, greeting messages, away messages for after hours, quick replies, labels and a business profile.
Meta has also been gradually rolling out a Business AI in India that can answer customer questions in Indian languages, recommend catalogue products and capture leads. Look for it under the Tools tab in an updated app. Meta hasn’t published full eligibility rules or in-app pricing, so it may not show up for everyone yet.
Almost every Indian small business can benefit from this app. Set up away messages and quick replies first, because they take ten minutes and save hours.
8. Bolna (Free Trial Credits)
Bolna, a Bengaluru-based voice AI startup, gives new accounts $5 in free credits to build an AI calling agent. It supports 10+ Indian languages including Hindi, Hinglish, Tamil and Telugu.
Use the credits to test whether an AI agent can handle routine calls, such as appointment reminders, order confirmations or lead follow-ups, before you pay anything. After that, pricing is pay-as-you-go from about 6¢ (roughly ₹5.52) a minute, plus telephony.
Want to know which are the Best AI Agents for Indian Startups in 2026 (With INR) - click here
Marketing and Content
9. Canva
Canva’s free plan covers social posts, flyers, menus, banners and simple videos, with thousands of templates. Most of Canva’s AI features, branded Magic Studio and Canva AI, sit on paid plans, and free users get limited access at most, so check what’s available on your account.
It’s ideal for shops and brands that post on Instagram and WhatsApp Status every week.
10. Gamma
Gamma gives 400 AI credits when you sign up. This is a one-time amount, not monthly. You also get unlimited presentations, AI image generation, PDF and PowerPoint export, and a simple website builder.
Use it to turn a rough idea into a client pitch deck, a price list or a one-page business website in minutes.
11. ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs gives 10,000 credits a month for AI voiceovers, with support for 74 languages.
It’s great for voiceovers on product videos and Reels, or audio versions of announcements. One thing to watch: the free plan doesn’t include a commercial licence. That comes with the Starter plan at $6 a month, so upgrade before using the voice in ads or paid content.
12. Grammarly
Grammarly’s free plan checks spelling, grammar and tone, and includes 100 AI prompts a month.
It helps with emails to clients, proposals and website copy, especially if English isn’t your first language and you want to sound polished. Pro costs $12 a month and includes 2,000 AI prompts.
Indian Languages
This is where India-built tools have a real edge.
13. Bhashini
Bhashini is the Government of India’s free language app, built under MeitY’s National Language Translation Mission. It can turn speech into text, translate between Indian languages, read text aloud, and translate live conversations. Its release notes list support for all 22 scheduled languages of India.
It’s useful when you’re talking to a customer, supplier or worker who speaks a different language, or when you need to translate a notice or message into Tamil, Bengali or Marathi.
14. Sarvam AI
Sarvam, one of India’s best-known AI companies, gives ₹100 of free credit to new accounts on its platform. Its speech recognition covers 22 Indian languages plus English, including mixed speech like Hinglish.
It suits businesses with a developer or a tech-savvy owner who wants to add Indian-language speech or translation to an app or website. After the free credit, translation costs ₹20 per 10,000 characters.
Productivity
15. NotebookLM (Now Gemini Notebook)
Google’s research notebook, now being renamed Gemini Notebook, lets you upload documents and ask questions about them. The free plan allows 100 notebooks with up to 50 sources each.
Use it to make sense of a pile of PDFs, such as scheme guidelines, supplier catalogues or training material, by asking questions in plain language. In India, images and videos generated on the free plan carry a visible watermark.
All 15 Free AI Tools at a Glance
# | Tool | Best for | What’s free | Upgrade from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ChatGPT | Writing, replies, ideas | Core assistant, usage limits | ₹399/month (Go) |
2 | Google Gemini | Google users, Business Profile | App, usage limits | ₹399/month (AI Plus) |
3 | Claude | Long documents, careful writing | Daily usage limits | ₹1,999/month |
4 | Perplexity | Research with sources | Web-search answers | Paid Pro plan |
5 | Microsoft Copilot | Office users | Chat, writing, images | ₹689/month (M365) |
6 | Meta AI | Quick help inside WhatsApp | Free, Hindi supported | Free |
7 | WhatsApp Business | Customer chats, catalogue | Free app, AI rolling out | Free |
8 | Bolna | AI calling agent trial | $5 free credits | ~₹5.52/min |
9 | Canva | Social posts, flyers | Templates, limited AI | Paid plans |
10 | Gamma | Decks, one-page sites | 400 credits at signup | Paid plans |
11 | ElevenLabs | Voiceovers | 10,000 credits/month, no commercial licence | $6/month |
12 | Grammarly | Polished English | 100 AI prompts/month | $12/month |
13 | Bhashini | Indian language translation | Free government app | Free |
14 | Sarvam AI | Indian-language speech and translation | ₹100 free credit | Usage-based |
15 | NotebookLM | Understanding documents | 100 notebooks, 50 sources each | Google AI plans |
A Simple Starter Kit by Business Type
If you’re not sure where to begin, start with three tools that match your type of business.
Retail Shop or Kirana
Use WhatsApp Business for away messages and your catalogue, Meta AI for quick replies, and Canva for weekly offers.
D2C or Online Brand
Use ChatGPT or Gemini for product descriptions, Canva for creatives, and ElevenLabs for Reel voiceovers, upgrading before you use it in ads.
Service Business (Clinic, Coaching, Agency)
Use WhatsApp Business for bookings, Bhashini for customers who speak other languages, and Bolna’s free credits to test reminder calls.
