OpenAI’s chief executive Sam Altman has said that India now has 100 million weekly active users of ChatGPT, elevating the country to the position of the platform’s second-largest market globally after the United States and underscoring its growing influence in the artificial intelligence ecosystem. Altman disclosed the figure in an opinion piece published ahead of the Global AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, where government officials and global tech leaders are convening to discuss the future of AI and its integration into education, enterprise and public services.
This milestone reflects not just a vast user base but also a distinct pattern of adoption: students in India now represent the largest single demographic of ChatGPT users worldwide, according to Altman, who highlighted the role younger generations are playing in embedding generative AI into daily workflows for learning and productivity.
The 100 million figure forms a significant share of ChatGPT’s global weekly active user count, which stood at about 800 million as of October 2025 and is widely projected to edge closer to 900 million as platforms refine their offerings and expand reach. OpenAI’s decision to open an office in New Delhi in August 2025 and tailor pricing, including a lower-cost subscription tier later made free for a year, is seen as part of a strategy to deepen engagement in what many technology firms regard as a key growth market.
Altman underscored India’s demographic advantages, including a population exceeding one billion internet users and a large proportion of English speakers outside native English-speaking countries — factors that have made the country fertile ground for generative AI adoption. Many students have turned to ChatGPT for support with research, coding, examination preparation and language practice, reflecting a broader trend of digital tools being woven into educational routines.
Despite this surge, translating sheer user numbers into sustained economic returns poses challenges for AI firms. India’s price-sensitive market and uneven internet access complicate monetisation, causing some companies to adjust their strategies to balance affordability with revenue generation. OpenAI’s tailored pricing and promotional offers have helped lower entry barriers, but broader monetisation across emerging markets may require further innovation in business models.
The competitive landscape in India’s AI space is intensifying. Alphabet’s Google has made inroads with its Gemini AI suite, aggressively targeting younger users through free one-year subscriptions and partnerships with telecom firms to broaden adoption among students and professionals. These efforts are part of a broader contest among technology giants to capture share in a market that has vast potential due to its size and digital engagement.
The presence of global tech leaders and politicians at the New Delhi summit highlights the geopolitical and economic significance of India’s AI trajectory. Policy discussions span topics from responsible AI governance and equitable access to scaling infrastructure and boosting domestic innovation capacity. Indian policymakers, alongside industry executives, are advocating approaches that leverage technology to enhance education, public services and economic participation, while grappling with concerns over job displacement and digital divides.
Altman has outlined priorities for fostering inclusive AI growth in India, emphasising the need for practical digital literacy, robust computing infrastructure and frameworks that ensure ethical deployment. Such an approach, he argues, will empower users to harness AI’s potential effectively rather than just expanding access to tools.
The prominence of India’s student base on ChatGPT has broader implications for how AI products are developed and tailored. Feedback from a large and diverse user community helps shape feature enhancements and localisation efforts, influencing global development roadmaps. For companies like OpenAI, this dynamic underscores a strategic shift from traditional markets in Europe and North America toward regions where usage patterns reflect unique demographic and cultural needs.
