TLDRs;
Contents
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will visit India in September as the company readies its first office in the country.
- Localized pricing at ₹399/month for ChatGPT Go has fueled a fourfold rise in India’s weekly active users.
- India is both a leading student and developer market, strengthening its role as a global AI talent hub.
- Altman’s visit is expected to expand regulatory, business, and government partnerships for OpenAI in India.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is set to visit India this September, signaling the company’s most significant step yet in expanding its global footprint.
The trip comes as OpenAI prepares to open its first Indian office later this year, after establishing a legal entity in the country and beginning recruitment for senior roles.
we are opening our first office in india later this year! and i'm looking forward to visiting next month.
ai adoption in india has been amazing to watch–chatgpt users grew 4x in the past year–and we are excited to invest much more in india!
— Sam Altman (@sama) August 22, 2025
Backed by Microsoft, OpenAI has been steadily growing its presence in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing technology markets. The company currently employs only one local representative, Pragya Misra, who leads public policy and partnerships. However, with a surge in adoption of ChatGPT across India, hiring efforts are now ramping up, particularly in sales and enterprise-focused roles.
Local pricing drives wider AI adoption
One of the major catalysts for OpenAI’s popularity in India has been its localized pricing model. In early 2024, the company launched ChatGPT Go at ₹399 ($4.60) per month, significantly lower than the $20 monthly ChatGPT Plus plan in Western markets.
This approach mirrors successful moves by companies like Netflix and Spotify, which introduced affordable plans to capture user bases in price-sensitive markets. The results have been striking with India’s ChatGPT weekly active users quadrupling year-on-year, according to internal data.
By removing cost barriers, OpenAI has not only expanded its user base but also tapped into a vast demographic of students, young professionals, and small businesses eager to integrate AI tools into daily workflows.
India emerges as a key AI talent hub
India’s rise as a hub for AI development is another driving force behind OpenAI’s decision to invest more heavily in the market. The country is now among the top five developer bases for OpenAI globally and boasts the largest student user community for ChatGPT.
This dual strength, widespread adoption among learners and significant developer engagement, suggests India is cultivating both the current and future AI workforce. The feedback loop between education and practical application is accelerating skill-building, positioning India as an indispensable partner in the global AI ecosystem.
OpenAI’s focus on senior sales roles, with job listings calling for seven years of experience, indicates the company is also targeting enterprise clients. This suggests India represents not just a consumer-driven market but also a fertile ground for business adoption of AI-powered solutions.
Political, business, and regulatory ties in focus
Altman’s visit is also expected to deepen OpenAI’s political and business engagement in India. The company already has the support of Rishi Jaitly, former Twitter India head, who joined OpenAI in 2023 as senior adviser for government engagement.
With India actively shaping its AI policy framework, Altman’s trip is likely to involve conversations with government officials and industry leaders on responsible deployment, regulation, and innovation. Such collaborations will be critical as countries worldwide navigate how to balance AI’s transformative potential with the risks it poses to jobs, privacy, and security.
