OpenAI’s Growth in India Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, recently stated that India has become OpenAI’s second-largest market, with its user base tripling over the past year. OpenAI’s generative models, including ChatGPT, have gained massive popularity in India, leading to an exponential rise in demand and usage. During his visit to India, Altman highlighted the importance of the country as a key player in AI development, praising India’s innovative contributions to the field.

India’s AI Ambitions During a fireside chat with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Altman acknowledged the country’s three-pronged approach to AI. India is focusing on designing chips, building foundational models, and expanding AI applications. Altman shared his excitement over the AI talent emerging in the country, emphasizing that India has the potential to be at the forefront of the AI revolution.
India’s rapid advancements in AI are fueling optimism for the country to become a global leader in AI innovation, especially as OpenAI plans to strengthen its ties with India’s start-up ecosystem and venture capital funds.
The Challenge from DeepSeek Altman’s visit coincides with the rise of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI lab’s groundbreaking model that has gained attention for delivering similar results to OpenAI’s models at a fraction of the cost. DeepSeek’s success has demonstrated that cutting-edge foundational models can be built at lower prices, challenging OpenAI’s dominance and raising concerns about the future of AI model pricing.
Altman acknowledged the threat posed by DeepSeek’s model but reiterated that OpenAI continues to lead with its commitment to high-quality AI models. He noted that the cost of training large-scale models remains high, but advancements in distillation technology have made it possible to create smaller, more efficient models at lower costs.
India’s Role in AI Development Altman stressed that India must continue investing in AI research and development to take a leadership position in the field. He mentioned that although the cost of AI models would continue to rise in the pursuit of intelligence, India’s efforts in developing chips and foundational models will be crucial in making AI accessible and affordable for the world.
Conclusion: The Future of AI in India Altman’s visit underscores India’s growing influence in the global AI landscape. With strong government support and a thriving tech ecosystem, India is poised to play a significant role in the future of AI. While DeepSeek’s rise presents a challenge to OpenAI, India’s ability to foster innovation and collaboration with international players will be key to its success in the AI space.