OpenAI began its “India-first” Learning Accelerator program on Monday. IIT Madras has been awarded a research grant worth ₹4.5 crore as part of the program.
Five lakh free ChatGPT licenses will also be given out to instructors and students in government schools and AICTE-regulated establishments.
What does this accelerator program include? Read on to find out!
OpenAI Begins India-First Accelerator Program
India was referred to by OpenAI as a “lighthouse” for its global education strategy.
The program will be developed in collaboration with top universities to increase training, research, and access to AI-enabled learning.
A key component of the project is the grant-supported research collaboration with IIT-Madras.
This study will investigate the effects of AI on cognition, learning outcomes, and teaching methods.
Teachers who use ChatGPT for lesson planning, assignments, and student engagement will get six months of free premium access.
Students will have access to advanced features like interactive tests and Study Mode.
OpenAI underlined that rather than enlarging India’s digital divide, the initiatives seek to close it.
Leah Belsky, OpenAI’s vice-president (education), said, “ChatGPT runs on basic smartphones, supports 11 Indian languages and voice interaction, and is being proposed for government schools and low-cost, government-funded technical institutions.”
With millions of students relying on ChatGPT for homework, test preparation, and idea exploration, India currently has the largest student population using the app worldwide.
Belsky clarified that in addition to providing teachers with new engagement resources, the accelerator is designed to make sure AI enhances learning rather than serving as a shortcut.
The accelerator will advance in a number of areas, including product deployment, training, access, and research.
IIT-Madras will lead the research, and the results will be made public to impact product design and pedagogy.
The Ministry of Education, AICTE, and ARISE (Alliance for Re-Imagining School Education) will distribute free ChatGPT licenses in order to increase access.
Training programs are being developed to increase teachers’ and students’ confidence and literacy in AI.
Study Mode, developed using feedback from Indian learners, will be deployed widely to guide students with step-by-step problem solving and structured responses.
Raghav Gupta, OpenAI’s head of education for India and Asia Pacific, said, “By working with universities, schools, government bodies and educators, we have an opportunity to truly transform education through AI, driving better learning outcomes while supporting India’s ambitions to be a global leader in AI-enabled education.”
These announcements continue OpenAI’s recent expansion in India.
OpenAI’s Expansion in India
This expansion has included opening a Delhi office, launching ChatGPT Go at ₹399 per month with UPI payments, expanding the OpenAI Academy literacy programme with MeitY, and enhancing Indic language capabilities in GPT-5.
OpenAI is positioning India as a testbed for global rollouts.
