India has reached a significant milestone with 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, positioning the nation as one of OpenAI’s largest markets worldwide, CEO Sam Altman announced ahead of the upcoming AI Impact Summit hosted by the Indian government.
In an article featured in the Times of India, Altman discussed the rapid adoption of ChatGPT in India as OpenAI gears up for the five-day summit starting Monday in New Delhi. Altman will be present alongside executives from top global AI companies.
This surge in usage aligns with OpenAI’s strategic focus on India’s young demographic and its expansive internet user base, which exceeds one billion. In a bid to capitalize on this market, OpenAI established a New Delhi office in August 2025 and launched a budget-friendly ChatGPT Go tier under $5, later making it free for Indian users for one year.
Highlighting India’s importance, Altman mentioned that it ranks as ChatGPT’s second-largest user base after the United States, underscoring its pivotal role in OpenAI’s global strategy. This revelation comes as ChatGPT’s global user base has soared to 800 million, with projections nearing 900 million.
A significant factor in this growth is the participation of students, who constitute the largest demographic of ChatGPT users in India. As other AI firms also seek to integrate their technologies into educational systems, Google has offered Indian students a complimentary one-year subscription to its AI Pro plan since September 2025. Furthermore, India has the highest global usage of Google’s Gemini for educational purposes, according to Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president and general manager for education.
Altman noted, “With its emphasis on access and practical AI literacy, India is well-positioned to ensure that the benefits of this technology are widespread and to influence the democratic adoption of AI at scale.”
However, the rapid growth of ChatGPT raises the challenge of translating this widespread usage into meaningful economic benefits. Initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission aim to enhance computing capabilities, support startups, and accelerate AI deployment in public services. Still, complexities due to the price-sensitive market and infrastructure limitations present hurdles for monetization and large-scale implementation compared to developed countries.
“Given India’s size, we risk missing a crucial opportunity to advance the democratic potential of AI in emerging markets,” Altman warned, highlighting concerns over potential unequal access and impact.
Looking ahead, Altman indicated that OpenAI plans to deepen collaboration with the Indian government, mentioning upcoming announcements related to partnerships geared towards broadening AI access throughout the country, although specific details were withheld.
The AI Impact Summit is anticipated to attract a diverse array of global tech and political leaders, including figures like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and prominent Indian business leaders such as Mukesh Ambani. International political leaders, including Emmanuel Macron and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, are also expected to attend, further establishing India’s aspirations as a key player in global AI discussions.
For OpenAI and other global AI firms, the summit underscores the significant influence of India’s burgeoning user base in shaping the future of AI technology.
