OpenAI India Growth: ChatGPT Reaches 100 Million Weekly Users Ahead Of AI Impact Summit

India is now one of OpenAI’s strongest markets, with Sam Altman confirming 100 million weekly ChatGPT users in the country. India is second only to the United States by user base, underscoring how central the country has become as OpenAI prepares for the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

The disclosure comes just before the five-day India AI Impact Summit, which starts on a Monday in New Delhi and is hosted by the government. Altman is joining the event alongside senior leaders from several major artificial intelligence firms, reflecting growing policy interest in how these tools are used.

India AI Growth and ChatGPT Adoption

Altman described ChatGPT’s expansion in India in a column for The Times of India published on a Sunday. The article appeared as OpenAI moved to formal engagement with Indian policymakers and industry at the India AI Impact Summit, signalling closer attention to local needs and regulation.

Students have become a major driver of this India AI wave. Altman wrote that India has the world’s largest number of student users on ChatGPT, suggesting that learners are weaving artificial intelligence tools into daily study habits, exam preparation, and research across schools and universities.

OpenAI Intensify AI Push Among Indian Students

Rival technology companies are chasing the same India AI opportunity among students. In September 2025, Google offered Indian learners a free one-year subscription to its AI Pro plan. Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president and general manager for education, said India also records the highest global usage of Gemini for learning.

OpenAI has already adjusted its pricing to suit India’s cost-sensitive users. The company introduced a ChatGPT Go tier priced below $5 and later made this plan free for a year in India. These moves came after OpenAI opened an office in New Delhi in August 2025, following months of preparation.

Global Numbers and Policy Challenges

OpenAI views India as a large growth opportunity because of its young population and more than one billion internet users. The country is one of the few remaining places where consumer technology platforms can still add huge numbers of new users, and ChatGPT’s traction reflects this potential.

Globally, ChatGPT has grown at high speed. The service reached around 800 million weekly active users by October 2025 and was reported to be approaching 900 million. Within that total, India’s 100 million weekly active users now account for a sizeable share of OpenAI’s worldwide audience.

Altman highlighted a key challenge for India’s AI push: converting widespread usage into lasting economic value. While initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission aim to expand computing capacity, support startups, and deploy AI in public services, gaps in infrastructure and affordability continue to slow large-scale adoption.

He warned that India risks missing a crucial chance to lead democratic AI in emerging markets if access remains uneven, allowing benefits to concentrate among a small group. Altman also signalled deeper collaboration between OpenAI and the Indian government, with upcoming partnerships focused on improving access and enabling practical, everyday AI use across sectors.

These remarks come ahead of the India AI Impact Summit, which will host global tech leaders and policymakers, reinforcing India’s growing role in global AI debates. The outcome will depend on how infrastructure, pricing, and partnerships evolve to ensure AI benefits reach a broad base of users.