India's AI Boom: ChatGPT Hits 100 Million Weekly Users
India Cements Its Place as AI Powerhouse
Just days before the high-profile India AI Impact Summit, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman dropped a significant revelation: India now boasts 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, officially becoming the company's second-largest market worldwide after the United States.
Affordable Access Drives Adoption
Recognizing India's unique market dynamics, OpenAI took an innovative approach after establishing its New Delhi office last August. The introduction of ChatGPT Go - a budget-friendly version - coupled with free one-year access sparked remarkable growth, especially among students. Today, India hosts the world's largest student user base for ChatGPT.
But competition is heating up fast. Google plans to counter with free AI Pro subscriptions for Indian students starting September 2025. "India represents our most engaged market globally for Gemini learning tools," confirmed Google VP Chris Phillips.
Balancing Scale With Sustainability
While celebrating India's rapid adoption (contributing significantly to ChatGPT's near 900 million global weekly users), Altman acknowledges commercialization hurdles. Infrastructure limitations and price sensitivity create complexities not seen in developed markets.
The Indian government isn't sitting idle. Through its ambitious India AI Mission, officials are accelerating computing infrastructure development and startup support. "AI must remain accessible," Altman emphasized, warning against concentration of benefits among few players. OpenAI plans expanded government partnerships soon to broaden access.
Global Spotlight on Indian Tech Ambitions
The five-day summit serves as a coming-out party for India's AI aspirations. Alongside Altman, attendees include:
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei
- Google chief Sundar Pichai
- Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani
- Government leaders from France, UAE and Brazil
The heavyweight turnout underscores India's growing clout in shaping global AI policy and technological direction.
Key Points:
- India reaches 100M weekly ChatGPT users (#2 globally)
- Student-focused pricing strategy drives adoption
- Infrastructure challenges remain despite growth
- Major tech CEOs converging for pivotal AI summit
- Government initiatives aim to sustain momentum
