ChatGPT India reaches 100 million weekly users as Sam Altman reveals OpenAI's expansion strategy

India has 100M weekly active ChatGPT users, Sam Altman says

India has 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, making the country one of OpenAI's largest markets globally, CEO Sam Altman said ahead of a government-hosted AI summit. On Sunday, Altman outlined ChatGPT's growing adoption in India in an article published in the Indian English daily Times of India, as OpenAI prepares to formally participate in the five-day India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, beginning Monday. Altman is attending the event alongside senior executives from several of the world's leading AI companies. The growth comes as OpenAI, like other leading AI firms, looks to India's young population and its more than a billion internet users to fuel global expansion. The ChatGPT maker opened a New Delhi office in August 2025 after months of groundwork in the country, and has adjusted its approach for India's price-sensitive market, including rolling out a sub-$5 ChatGPT Go tier that was later made free for a year for Indian users. In the article, Altman said India is ChatGPT's second-largest user base after the United States, highlighting the South Asian nation's growing weight in OpenAI's global strategy. The disclosure comes as ChatGPT's overall usage has surged worldwide, with the platform reaching 800 million weekly active users as of October 2025 and reported to be approaching 900 million. Altman also highlighted the role of students in driving adoption, saying India has the largest number of student users of ChatGPT globally. Indian students have become a key growth segment for leading AI companies more broadly, as rivals race to embed their tools in classrooms and learning workflows. Google has similarly targeted the market, offering Indian students a free one-year subscription to its AI Pro plan in September 2025. Separately, India accounts for the highest global usage of Gemini for learning, Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager for education, said last month. "With its focus on access, practical Al 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," Altman wrote. ChatGPT's rapid growth also highlights a broader challenge for AI companies in India: translating widespread adoption into sustained economic impact. Indian government initiatives such as the IndiaAI Mission -- a national program aimed at expanding computing capacity, supporting startups and accelerating AI adoption in public services -- seek to address those gaps. However, the country's price-sensitive market and infrastructure constraints have made monetization and large-scale deployment more complex than in developed economies. "Given India's size, it also risks forfeiting a vital opportunity to advance democratic AI in emerging markets around the world," Altman wrote, warning that uneven access and adoption could concentrate AI's economic gains in too few hands. Altman also signaled that OpenAI plans to deepen its engagement with the Indian government, writing that the company would soon announce new partnerships aimed at expanding access to AI across the country. He did not provide details, but said the focus would be on widening reach and enabling more people to put AI tools to practical use. The India AI Impact Summit is expected to draw a wide cross-section of global technology and political leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Sundar Pichai of Google, and senior 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, spotlighting India's ambition to position itself as a central player in global AI debates. For global AI firms, including OpenAI, the summit underscores how India's vast user base is translating into growing influence over how the technology evolves. OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment.

Sam Altman Says ChatGPT Now Has 100 Million Weekly Active Users in India

Sam Altman will be present at the upcoming AI Impact Summit in India The government is scheduled to host the AI Impact Summit 2026, a five-day convention on AI, starting Monday (today). The event will see sessions, exhibitions, and presentations from various industry leaders and stakeholders. A day ahead of its commencement, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, confirmed that he will be present at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in India, while also revealing the chatbot's weekly active user count in the country. This comes as the tech firm has been showing an increasing interest in tapping India's large internet-using demographic. OpenAI Now Has 100 Million ChatGPT Users in India In a Times of India article, Altman wrote that OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot has 100 million (or 10 crore) weekly active users in India, as of February. The company executive said that this makes the country the second-largest user base for the chatbot after the US, which India has managed to retain for months now. "The momentum is clear," Altman said. He pointed out that the country has the largest number of students on ChatGPT in the world. This is "a sign of how many young people here are treating AI as a way to learn faster and get ahead," Altman added. He further said that India ranks fourth globally "in the use of Prism", OpenAI's new free AI tool, which can be used for scientific research and collaboration. The OpenAI chief revealed ChatGPT's growth figures in India while announcing that he will be in India this week for the AI Impact Summit, which starts today. As previously mentioned, it will be a five-day event that will run until February 20, with sessions, exhibitions, keynotes, and conversations on AI. The government will host various industry leaders and stakeholders during the event. Apart from OpenAI's Altman, Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, will also be present at the event. You can read more about the AI Impact Summit here. ChatGPT's growing user base in India also comes as the AI giant has increased its focus on tapping into the country's large internet-using population. In August 2025, OpenAI launched the ChatGPT Go tier in India as a relatively affordable subscription plan, which the tech firm later started offering for free. In the same month, the US-based AI firm posted multiple job listings in India for its first office in the country. The office will be inaugurated in New Delhi. OpenAI was then hiring to fill three positions in the sales department, including an Account Director for Digital Natives, an Account Director for Large Enterprises, and Account Director, Strategics. The tech firm also plans to setup multiple data centres in the country.

India has 100 mn weekly ChatGPT users, says Sam Altman

OpenAI is expanding in India, highlighting the country's rising importance at the India AI Impact Summit. India has become one of the biggest growth stories for artificial intelligence, with 100 million people now using ChatGPT every week. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared the numbers ahead of the government's India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. This makes India the second-largest market for ChatGPT after the United States and highlights how quickly AI tools are becoming part of daily life in the country. From students using it for homework to professionals seeking quick answers at work, ChatGPT is witnessing strong and steady demand across age groups and cities in the country. Altman also noted that India's growth has been steady for months and described the country as one of the most important markets globally. Out of roughly 800 million weekly users worldwide, India accounts for a significant share, underlining its rising influence in the AI ecosystem. According to Sam Altman, India now has the highest number of student users of ChatGPT in the world. Students use it to prepare for exams, practise coding, improve their writing, and learn new languages. Also read: Nothing Phone 4a Pro and Phone 4a may launch next month: India price, camera, battery and more OpenAI has also expanded in the country as a result of the adoption of the AI tool in India. The AI firm opened an office in New Delhi in August 2025 and made its services more affordable for people in India. This shows the company wants to reach more people and be useful across the country. OpenAI has tailored its offerings for India's price‑sensitive market to fit India's budget-friendly market. As the company introduced the ChatGPT Go plan, which costs less than five dollars, and later made it free for a year to encourage more people to use it. Altman further said that this approach is working well, as lots of students and professionals are now using ChatGPT in the country. He also added that the India market is an important part of OpenAI's growth plans worldwide. Also read: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy S26 Plus, Galaxy S26 launch date, price, specs, pre-reservation benefits and other details Even though the adoption of the AI tool is rapid in the country, experts say that to fully benefit from this growth, India needs better internet access, affordable technology, and strong government support. Even so, India's large population, skilled people, and enthusiasm are helping shape how artificial intelligence is used around the world. Altman also wrote that OpenAI plans to deepen cooperation with the Indian government. He said new partnerships will be announced soon to expand access to AI tools, though he did not share further details. The India AI Impact Summit brings together leaders from global technology and politics, underscoring India's growing influence in shaping the future of AI. Also read: India AI Impact Summit 2026: PM Modi welcomes world leaders, says AI is transforming healthcare, education and beyond OpenAI is not the only company focusing on India. Other tech companies are also doing everything to attract the Indian users, whether it be providing discounted AI tools to students or offering them for free in collaboration with telecom companies. Tech leaders like Sundar Pichai and Dario Amodei will be attending the AI Impact summit in India; this further solidifies how important the Indian market is for the tech giants.