Module 3: The free AI stack (India)
The free AI stack — an overview
You do not need a ₹2,000-a-month subscription to learn to code with AI. Most of what this course teaches works on free tools. And if you have a Jio SIM or a college ID, you may be able to get the paid versions for nothing.
This lesson gives you the whole map first. The rest of the module shows you how to claim each piece.
Three kinds of "free"
Not all free things are the same. It helps to sort them into three groups.
1. Free tiers (no end date). The company gives everyone a smaller version at no cost, with no end date announced. The limits can still change. There is a daily or weekly limit. You never enter a card. Examples: the Gemini app, Google AI Studio, Google Antigravity, GitHub Copilot Free.
2. Free for a time (offers). You get the paid plan free for a fixed period, usually 12 or 18 months. Some ask for a card or a UPI mandate (a standing permission to charge you later). Examples: Google AI Pro through Jio, Google AI Plus for students.
3. Free because of who you are (verified programmes). You prove you are a student or teacher, and you get tools while that stays true. Example: the GitHub Student Developer Pack.
The first group is the safest. It never asks for a card, so it cannot charge you. The second group is the most powerful, but you must watch the end date. The third group is excellent if you qualify.
The stack at a glance
Here is the set of tools this course uses, and what each one costs a beginner in India as of October 2026.
| Tool | What it is | Free version |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini app (gemini.google.com) | A chat assistant in your browser or phone | Yes, with lower limits and a smaller "memory" |
| Google AI Pro | Google's paid plan: higher Gemini limits, better models, 5 TB storage | Free for 18 months for eligible Jio users (lesson 2) |
| Google AI Plus | A cheaper Google plan with 2x limits and 400 GB storage | Free for 1 year for eligible college students (lesson 3) |
| Google AI Studio | A website to test Gemini and get an API key for your own apps | Yes, free tier (lesson 5) |
| Google Antigravity | Google's AI coding app: agents that plan, write and test code on your laptop | Yes, free Individual plan (module 8) |
| GitHub Copilot | AI help inside VS Code | Copilot Free for everyone; Copilot Student for verified students |
| GitHub Student Developer Pack | Free tools, domains and cloud credits for students | Yes, if you verify as a student |
Two offers you may have heard about have ended for new users: Airtel's free Perplexity Pro and OpenAI's free year of ChatGPT Go. Lesson 4 explains what happened and what to do if you already claimed one.
What you actually need for this course
You do not need all of these. To finish every project in this course, the minimum is:
- A Google account (for the Gemini app, AI Studio and Antigravity).
- A GitHub account (for publishing your projects).
- The free tiers of those tools.
Everything else is a bonus. A paid plan gives you higher limits and stronger models. That means fewer "you have reached your limit" messages on a busy evening. It does not make you a better programmer. The habits in module 4 matter far more than the plan you are on.
What "free" really costs you
Free tools are paid for in other ways. Know them before you sign up.
Your data. On free tiers, companies often use what you type to improve their products. For Google AI Studio's free tier, Google says people may read your prompts. So never paste passwords, API keys, Aadhaar numbers, or a client's private data into a free AI tool.
Limits. Free tiers stop working for a while when you hit the limit. You will see a message like "You've reached your limit" or an error number 429. This is normal. Wait, or switch to another tool from this module.
Auto-renewal. Some offers quietly turn into paid plans when the free period ends. If you gave a card or set up a UPI Autopay mandate, you can be charged. Every offer lesson shows you where to check this.
Your recharge. The Jio offer is free only while you keep an eligible ₹349-or-more unlimited 5G plan. If you already pay for that plan, the offer is pure bonus. If you would need to upgrade just for this, do the maths first.
How this module is laid out
- Lesson 2: Google AI Pro free with Jio — eligibility, step-by-step claim, what to do if the banner is missing, and how to avoid surprise charges.
- Lesson 3: Student offers — Google AI Plus free for a year, the GitHub Student Developer Pack, and Copilot for students and teachers.
- Lesson 4: Other offers — which ones ended, which free tiers are worth knowing, and how to spot fake "free AI" deals.
- Lesson 5: Google AI Studio and your free API key — the key you will use in Project 3.
- Lesson 6: Which tool for which job — one table you can come back to.
Antigravity gets its own module. If you want a preview now, read What is an agentic IDE?.
Your task
Make a short list, on paper or in your phone's notes app, with three lines:
- Do I have a Jio SIM, on an unlimited 5G plan of ₹349 or more, and am I 18 or older? (Yes / No / Not sure)
- Am I enrolled at a college or university right now, and am I 18 or older? (Yes / No)
- Do I already pay for any AI tool? Which one, and when does it renew?
Your answers tell you which lessons in this module matter most for you.
Check yourself
Enjoying this? This is one of the free lessons. The full course has 78 lessons and three projects you publish yourself.