Google is giving college students in India a free one-year subscription to its Google AI Plus plan as part of a new push to bring more AI-powered learning tools to students. The offer includes access to Gemini Omni, higher usage limits in Gemini, and 400GB of cloud storage.
Google has also announced new study features for Gemini and Google Search. The company is positioning these tools as more than AI assistants for answering questions. They are designed to help students understand difficult topics, identify gaps in their knowledge, prepare for exams and organise study material.
The free offer is notable because Google had previously offered eligible students in India a free year of the more expensive Google AI Pro plan. That earlier offer included 2TB of storage and access to advanced Gemini features. The latest offer shifts to the lower-priced AI Plus tier while adding access to Google’s newer AI capabilities.
Eligible college students in India will get Google AI Plus at no cost for one year. The plan includes access to Gemini Omni, along with twice the usage limits available on the standard Gemini experience. Students will also get 400GB of storage that can be used across Google’s services. The plan provides access to other AI features available with Google AI Plus as well.
Google AI Plus currently sits below Google AI Pro in the company’s subscription lineup. Google lists 400GB of storage and higher Gemini usage limits among the benefits of AI Plus.
Google is also offering a separate discount for students who want both AI and entertainment services. Eligible users can get a bundle containing Google AI Pro and YouTube Premium for up to 70% off.
There is another big change coming to Gemini itself. Google is introducing a dedicated student hub where students can access learning tools and organise their studies. One of the main additions is called Study Notebooks.
Study Notebooks are designed to make Gemini behave more like a personalised learning platform rather than a chatbot that simply provides answers. Students can add their learning material and take a diagnostic quiz. Gemini then uses the results to identify areas where the student is doing well and topics that need more attention.
It can then create smaller study sessions around those weak areas. As students continue taking quizzes and adding new material, the learning plan can adjust based on their progress.
Google had previously introduced Study Notebooks as an adaptive learning experience. The system can use a student’s own course material, generate lessons and update the learning experience based on quiz results. It can also work with NotebookLM, allowing students to continue working with their course material there.
This approach is more interesting than simply asking an AI chatbot to explain a chapter. Instead of waiting for students to know what they do not understand, the system attempts to identify those gaps first.
Google is also bringing Deep Research into Gemini Live. Students will be able to request a Deep Research report and then discuss it with Gemini while using the Live experience. This could make research more useful when students are away from a desktop and want to ask follow-up questions about a topic instead of reading a long report on their own.
The feature also shows how Google is trying to connect its different AI products rather than keeping them as separate tools. Gemini can already work with documents and other user-provided material, while NotebookLM focuses heavily on research and source-based learning.
Google is also adding new learning features directly to Search. Students will be able to generate interactive visuals to understand difficult concepts, create practice quizzes for different subjects and use Google Lens for step-by-step learning.
The ability to create a practice quiz for almost any subject could be especially useful for exam preparation. Google has already been expanding AI-powered practice tests in India, including JEE Main preparation in Gemini, with content from education companies such as PhysicsWallah and Careers360.
Google is now taking a broader approach. Instead of limiting AI learning features to Gemini, it is bringing them into Search, where students already go when looking for information.
Students will also be able to organise projects using notebooks and create custom files from their work.
From today’s announcement, we can guess the strategy. Google does not want Gemini to become just a faster way for students to search for answers. The company is building tools that can help with the entire learning process, including finding information, explaining concepts, testing knowledge, identifying weak areas and creating personalised study material.
This is also an area where Google has been investing heavily in India. Google said in November 2025 that more than 2 million students across India had access to its advanced AI tools through its student programme. It also said India has the largest global Gemini user base among people aged 18 to 24.
That makes students an important audience for Google’s AI products. Giving them access to paid features for free also gives Google an opportunity to make Gemini part of their daily academic workflow at an early stage.
There is still an important limitation. AI-generated explanations, quizzes and study plans can contain mistakes, so students should not treat Gemini as a replacement for textbooks, teachers or verified academic sources. Google itself says its education tools are designed to support teachers and learning rather than replace them.
However, the combination of a free AI subscription and these new learning features could make Gemini considerably more useful for students during the academic year.
Google has not positioned this as a standalone chatbot promotion. It is building an ecosystem where Gemini, Search, NotebookLM and Google’s other products work together around how students actually study.
