OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed on Sunday that India now has 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, making the country one of OpenAI's largest markets globally. Altman published the data in an article in India's English-language daily The Times of India, as OpenAI prepares to officially participate in the five-day India Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit in New Delhi starting Monday. Altman will attend the event along with executives from several of the world's leading artificial intelligence companies.
The growth reflects that OpenAI, like other leading artificial intelligence companies, is eyeing India's young population and more than one billion internet users to drive global expansion. After months of preliminary preparations in the country, the ChatGPT manufacturer opened an office in New Delhi in August 2025. In order to adapt to the price-sensitive market in India, OpenAI adjusted its strategy and launched the ChatGPT Go package priced at less than $5, and later provided free use for Indian users for one year.
Altman stated in the article that India is ChatGPT’s second largest user group after the United States, highlighting the growing importance of this South Asian country in OpenAI’s global strategy. The disclosure comes amid a surge in global usage of ChatGPT, with the platform reaching 800 million weekly active users as of October 2025 and reportedly approaching 900 million.
Altman also emphasized the role of students in driving user growth, saying that India has the largest number of ChatGPT student users in the world. Indian students have emerged as a key growth segment for leading AI companies more broadly, as companies race to embed their tools into classrooms and learning workflows. Google is also targeting this market and will provide Indian students with a free one-year subscription to the AI Pro plan in September 2025. Separately, Chris Phillips, vice president and general manager of Google Education, said last month that India ranked first in the use of Gemini learning globally.
"With its focus on access, practical AI literacy, and infrastructure to support widespread adoption, India is well-positioned to expand the pool of people who benefit from the technology and help shape how democratic AI is deployed at scale," Altman wrote.
ChatGPT’s rapid growth also highlights the broader challenge facing AI companies in India: how to translate widespread adoption into sustained economic impact. Initiatives such as the Indian government’s IndiaAI Mission—a national program to expand computing power, support startups and accelerate the use of artificial intelligence in public services—attempt to address these gaps. However, the country’s price-sensitive market and infrastructure constraints make monetization and large-scale deployment more complex than in advanced economies.
"Given its size, India also risks losing an important opportunity to advance democratic AI in emerging markets around the world," Altman warned. Uneven access and adoption could concentrate the economic benefits of AI in the hands of a few, he warned.
Altman also said that OpenAI plans to deepen its cooperation with the Indian government, writing that the company will soon announce new partnerships aimed at expanding access to artificial intelligence across the country. He gave no details but said the focus will be on expanding coverage so more people can put AI tools to practical use.
The India AI Impact Summit is expected to attract a wide range of global technology and political leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Google's Sundar Pichai, and senior Indian business figures such as Mukesh Ambani and Nandan Nilekani. Political leaders including Emmanuel Macron, Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are also expected to attend, underscoring India's ambition to position itself as a central player in the global AI debate.
For global artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI, the summit highlighted how India's massive user base is translating into growing influence over how the technology evolves.