OpenAI Expands AI for Impact Accelerator in India: Grants $150,000 to 11 Nonprofits

OpenAI selects 11 Indian Non-Profits for its Accelerator Program, Allocates INR 1.28 Cr Worth API Grants | AIM

These grants, delivered as API credits, will support AI solutions in sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, disability inclusion, and gender equity. OpenAI has announced a new phase of its AI for Impact Accelerator Program in India, providing technical grants worth INR 1.28 Crore (USD 150,000) across 11 nonprofit organisations. These grants, delivered as API credits, will support AI solutions in sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, disability inclusion, and gender equity. The initiative, now operating under the OpenAI Academy umbrella, was launched globally and continues to support mission-driven organisations developing real-world applications of AI. The India cohort includes groups that have integrated OpenAI tools into their platforms to serve underserved communities at scale. The program is delivered in partnership with The Agency Fund, Tech4Dev, and Turn.io. In addition to funding, the program provides technical support, early access to tools, and cohort-based learning. A recent workshop on advanced model capabilities was also held to support social impact applications. "India has shown how AI can drive inclusive innovation at scale," said Pragya Misra, Policy & Partnerships Lead at OpenAI India. "These organisations are solving some of the country's most complex challenges with ingenuity and empathy. The AI for Impact Accelerator -- now part of OpenAI Academy -- is our way of learning from them, while ensuring frontier technology is being shaped by and in service of real communities." The supported organisations include Rocket Learning, Noora Health, Educate Girls, i-Stem, Pinky Promise, Myna Mahila Foundation, Udhyam, Precision Development, Digital Green, Youth Impact, and IDinsight. OpenAI claims that the program supports the goals of the India AI Mission by helping to democratise AI access, develop local ecosystems, and build scalable, localised solutions. Moreover, India now leads globally in ChatGPT usage, accounting for 13.5% of monthly active users. It surpasses the US at 8.9% and Indonesia at 5.7%, according to Mary Meeker's AI Trends Report. India also ranks third in DeepSeek app usage, behind China and Russia. OpenAI is reportedly looking to set up a data centre in India. The company also announced that organisations using its APIs, ChatGPT Enterprise, and ChatGPT Edu will be able to store customer content within India. This data residency option extends to other Asian countries, including Japan, Singapore, and South Korea, allowing local data storage while using OpenAI products. According to a Bloomberg report, OpenAI is targeting the Asia-Pacific region to build new data centres. Company officials are likely to tour the region to explore opportunities around AI infrastructure and software usage.

OpenAI announces $150,000 in grants to 11 Indian nonprofits for social innovation

Artificial intelligence (AI) model developer OpenAI has announced grants worth $150,000 for non-profit organisations in India tackling challenges in healthcare, education, agriculture, gender equity, and disability inclusion. The San Francisco, US-based company is expanding its 'AI for Impact Accelerator' in India, under which 11 nonprofits will receive grants in the form of API credits and technical resources, it said in a statement on Tuesday. As part of the OpenAI Academy, the programme is delivered in collaboration with philanthropic partners The Agency Fund, Tech4Dev, and Turn.io. "India has shown how AI can drive inclusive innovation at scale. These organisations are solving some of the country's most complex challenges with ingenuity and empathy," said Pragya Misra, policy & partnerships lead, OpenAI India. "This work reflects the spirit of the India AI Mission and reaffirms OpenAI's commitment to meaningful impact." Among the 11 nonprofits selected under the program are Rocket Learning, which uses WhatsApp and generative AI (GenAI) to deliver personalised early childhood education to four million children across 11 Indian states, reaching 20% of India's public daycare system. Noora Health uses AI to assist 400,000 caregivers by reducing nurse workload by 80%, and Educate Girls uses AI to identify and re-enrol over two million out-of-school girls, improving learning for 2.4 million children in 30,000 villages, OpenAI said. Other names include Udhyam, Digital Green, Precision Development, i-Stem, Pinky Promise, Myna Mahila Foundation, Youth Impact and IDinsight.