India Surpasses 100 Million Weekly ChatGPT Users, Becoming OpenAI’s Second-Largest Market

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed that India now has 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, solidifying its position as the chatbot’s second-largest market globally, trailing only the United States. This milestone underscores India’s growing importance in the global AI landscape.

Rapid Adoption and Key Demographics

The disclosure, made ahead of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, marks the first time OpenAI has publicly shared specific user numbers for the Indian market. Altman highlighted that the 100 million figure encompasses users across both free and paid subscription tiers. A significant driver of this growth is the country’s substantial student population, with India now boasting the highest number of student users of ChatGPT worldwide. These users are leveraging the AI tool for a variety of purposes, including learning, coding, exam preparation, and research.

Expanding OpenAI’s Presence in India

OpenAI has been strategically expanding its presence in India, opening a New Delhi office in August 2025. The company has also adapted its pricing strategy to cater to the Indian market, introducing a more affordable ChatGPT Go plan, which was later offered free of charge to Indian users for a year. Altman also noted recent training initiatives, where over 200 nonprofit leaders across four Indian cities received training on utilizing ChatGPT to enhance their work and efficiency. Source: Economic Times

Global Growth and Competition

Globally, ChatGPT has experienced substantial growth, reaching approximately 800 million weekly active users as of October 2025, and is projected to approach 900 million. Source: TechCrunch However, OpenAI is not alone in recognizing India’s potential. Google is actively competing for market share, offering Indian students a free one-year subscription to its AI Pro plan, and India already accounts for the highest global usage of Google’s Gemini for learning purposes. Source: India Today

Looking Ahead: Collaboration and Expansion

OpenAI plans to strengthen its collaboration with the Indian government and expand partnerships to broaden access to AI tools throughout the country. Altman is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit on February 19th, alongside industry leaders such as Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and prominent Indian business figures Mukesh Ambani and Nandan Nilekani. Source: Firstpost

Key Takeaways

• India has grow OpenAI’s second-largest market for ChatGPT, with 100 million weekly active users.
• The growth is driven by a large student population and increasing adoption of AI tools for learning and research.
• OpenAI is investing in India through a New Delhi office and tailored pricing plans.
• Competition is intensifying, with Google also actively targeting the Indian market.
• Further collaboration with the Indian government is planned to expand AI access.