India has reached 100 million weekly active users of ChatGPT, making it one of OpenAI’s largest markets globally, Chief Executive Sam Altman said ahead of a major government-backed AI summit in New Delhi.
Writing in the Times of India on Sunday, Altman said India is now ChatGPT’s second-largest user base after the United States. The disclosure comes as the company prepares to formally participate in the five-day India AI Impact Summit beginning Monday, where Altman will appear alongside senior executives from leading global AI firms.
The milestone underscores India’s growing weight in OpenAI’s global expansion strategy at a time when ChatGPT’s overall user base has surged worldwide. The platform reached 800 million weekly active users as of October 2025 and is reported to be approaching 900 million.
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India’s appeal for AI companies lies in its demographics and digital scale. With a young population and more than a billion internet users, the country represents one of the largest untapped growth pools for generative AI adoption.
OpenAI opened a New Delhi office in August 2025 after months of groundwork, signaling a shift from market testing to deeper operational engagement. The company also adjusted its pricing strategy for India’s cost-sensitive environment, launching a sub-$5 ChatGPT Go tier and later making it free for a year for Indian users.
Altman highlighted the role of students as a primary growth engine, noting that India has the largest number of student ChatGPT users globally. That dynamic reflects a broader trend: AI adoption in India has been driven heavily by education, exam preparation, coding assistance, and language translation use cases.
Competitors have targeted the same segment. Google offered Indian students a free one-year subscription to its AI Pro plan in September 2025. The company’s Gemini tool has also seen strong uptake in India for learning purposes, according to Google executives.
The competitive landscape signals that India is not merely a user base but a testing ground for large-scale AI diffusion across emerging markets.
Adoption vs. Monetization
While user growth has been rapid, monetization remains more complex. India’s price sensitivity limits subscription revenue per user compared to developed markets. Infrastructure constraints, including uneven broadband speeds and computing capacity, can also limit advanced AI deployment.
Altman acknowledged the broader stakes. “With its focus on access, practical AI literacy, and the infrastructure that supports widespread adoption, India is well positioned to broaden who benefits from the technology and to help shape how democratic AI is adopted at scale,” he wrote.
The Indian government has launched initiatives such as the IndiaAI Mission, aimed at expanding computing capacity, supporting startups, and accelerating AI integration in public services. These efforts are intended to reduce dependence on foreign cloud infrastructure and foster domestic innovation.
However, the gap between widespread usage and measurable economic productivity gains remains a central issue. High engagement does not automatically translate into enterprise integration, workforce transformation, or startup scaling.
Altman cautioned that uneven access could concentrate AI’s economic gains. “Given India’s size, it also risks forfeiting a vital opportunity to advance democratic AI in emerging markets around the world,” he wrote, warning that access disparities could narrow who benefits.
Summit Signals India’s Global AI Ambition
The India AI Impact Summit denotes New Delhi’s ambition to position itself as a central node in global AI governance and industry development. The event is expected to draw leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Sundar Pichai, along with prominent Indian business figures such as Mukesh Ambani and Nandan Nilekani.
Political leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, are also expected to attend, underscoring the geopolitical significance of AI governance discussions.
The summit provides an opportunity to deepen ties with policymakers for OpenAI. Altman signaled that new partnerships with the Indian government would be announced soon, aimed at expanding access and enabling broader practical use of AI tools, though he did not provide specifics.
Analysts believe India’s 100 million weekly ChatGPT users represent a scale unmatched in most emerging economies.