ChatGPT in India reaches 100 million weekly users as OpenAI doubles down on expansion

OpenAI Confirms India as Second-Largest Market with 100 Million Weekly Active Users

ChatGPT in India has reached a significant milestone, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealing that the country now has 100 million weekly active users 2

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. This makes India the second-largest market for the AI chatbot after the United States, a position the country has maintained for months 3

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. The announcement came ahead of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, a five-day government-hosted event drawing global technology leaders including Sundar Pichai from Google and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei 2

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. With ChatGPT's global user base approaching 900 million, India's contribution underscores the country's growing influence in shaping how AI adoption unfolds at scale.

Young Indian Users Drive Nearly Half of All ChatGPT Activity

The demographics behind India's AI adoption reveal a youth-driven phenomenon. OpenAI disclosed that users between 18 and 24 years of age account for nearly 50% of messages sent to ChatGPT in the country, while users under 30 represent 80% of total usage 1

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. India now hosts the largest number of student users of ChatGPT globally, with young people treating AI as a tool to learn faster and advance their skills 2

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. Sam Altman described this as "a sign of how many young people here are treating AI as a way to learn faster and get ahead" 3

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. Students use the platform to prepare for exams, practice coding, improve writing, and learn new languages 4

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. This pattern mirrors broader trends in India's AI landscape, where Google similarly reported that India accounts for the highest global usage of Gemini for learning.

Work-Related Tasks and Coding Assistance Dominate Usage Patterns

Indians use ChatGPT predominantly for work-related tasks, with 35% of all messages relating to professional activities compared to 30% globally 1

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. The company's coding assistance tool, Codex, has seen particularly strong traction, with Indians using it three times more than the global median 1

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. Weekly usage of Codex has increased by four times since the tool received a Mac app two weeks ago, and users in India are asking three times as many coding-related questions as the median 1

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. This aligns with findings from Anthropic, which reported that 45.2% of Claude's tasks in India map to software-related use cases. Outside of work, 35% of messages request guidance, 20% involve general information queries, and 20% focus on writing assistance 1

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Affordable Subscription Plans Fuel Rapid AI Adoption

OpenAI has tailored its approach for India's price-sensitive market by introducing ChatGPT Go, an affordable subscription tier priced below $5 2

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. The company later made this plan free for a year for Indian users, a strategy designed to accelerate adoption among students and professionals 4

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. OpenAI has also run promotional campaigns to spur usage in the country 1

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. The New Delhi office, which opened in August 2025 after months of groundwork, represents OpenAI's commitment to deepening its presence in India 2

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. The company is now expanding further with new offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru scheduled to open this year 1

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Strategic Partnerships with Tata Group and Major Indian Firms

OpenAI has signed a major partnership with conglomerate Tata Group to secure 100 megawatts worth of AI compute capacity and distribute ChatGPT Enterprise within Tata's IT services subsidiary, TCS 1

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. The AI lab has also inked agreements with fintech firm Pine Labs, travel platforms Ixigo and Makemytrip, and food and grocery delivery company Eternal 1

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. Additionally, OpenAI has partnered with educational institutes to distribute its tools to more than 100,000 students over the next six years 1

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. These partnerships signal OpenAI's intent to embed AI tools across multiple sectors while addressing government cooperation to expand access nationwide 2

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Challenges in Converting Adoption into Economic Impact

While AI adoption in India is accelerating rapidly, translating widespread usage into sustained economic impact remains complex. OpenAI's chief economist Ronnie Chatterji stated, "AI adoption is moving faster than our ability to measure it - and that's a challenge for anyone trying to make smart decisions" 1

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. Infrastructure constraints, uneven internet access, and the need for affordable technology pose ongoing challenges 4

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. Sam Altman warned that "given India's size, it also risks forfeiting a vital opportunity to advance democratic AI in emerging markets around the world" if access and adoption remain uneven 2

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. Government initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission aim to address these gaps by expanding computing capacity, supporting startups, and accelerating AI adoption in public services, though monetization and large-scale deployment remain more complex than in developed economies 2

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