India Cements Position as AI Hub with Record ChatGPT Adoption

In a revealing interview ahead of this week's India AI Impact Summit, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared striking numbers: India now boasts 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, officially making it the company's second-largest market worldwide after the United States.

Winning Over Price-Sensitive Users

The Silicon Valley firm tailored its approach to India's unique market dynamics after establishing its New Delhi office last August. Their dual strategy - launching budget-friendly "ChatGPT Go" while offering free one-year access - proved particularly successful among students. Today, India hosts the world's largest student user base for ChatGPT.

"We recognized early that affordability would be key," Altman told The Times of India. "The response has exceeded our expectations."

Not to be outdone, Google announced plans last fall to provide Indian students with complimentary AI Pro subscriptions through its Gemini learning platform. Chris Phillips, Google VP, confirmed India already leads global usage rates for their educational AI tools.

Balancing Scale and Sustainability

Despite nearing 900 million global weekly users, OpenAI faces commercialization hurdles in India. Infrastructure limitations and price sensitivity complicate large-scale deployment compared to Western markets.

"Scale doesn't automatically translate to revenue," Altman acknowledged. "But we see tremendous long-term potential."

The Indian government is responding with ambitious initiatives like the "India AI Mission," accelerating computing infrastructure development and startup support. Altman cautioned against AI inequality though: "Without proper democratization, economic benefits could concentrate dangerously."

Global Spotlight on Indian Tech Ambitions

The five-day summit showcases India's growing clout in artificial intelligence. Alongside Altman, attendees include:

• Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei
• Google chief Sundar Pichai
• Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani
• Government leaders from France, UAE and Brazil

The high-profile gathering underscores how international players increasingly view India as both a critical market and strategic partner in shaping AI's future.

While OpenAI remains tight-lipped about specific upcoming collaborations, industry watchers expect significant announcements regarding local partnerships and accessibility initiatives.

Key Points:

• 100M weekly users make India ChatGPT's #2 market globally
• Student-focused pricing strategies drive adoption
• Commercialization challenges persist despite massive user base
• Government investing heavily in AI infrastructure
• Global tech leaders converging at Delhi summit