Sam Altman praises India’s AI growth; Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw welcomes move as a boost to IndiaAI Mission
Washington DC / New Delhi, August 23: Artificial Intelligence giant OpenAI is all set to mark its presence in India, as CEO Sam Altman announced that the company will open its first-ever India office later this year. The move reflects the country’s rapidly growing AI ecosystem and the exponential rise in ChatGPT adoption, which has seen a fourfold increase in the past year alone.
Sam Altman, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), shared his excitement about the decision and also confirmed that he would be visiting India next month.
“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!” Altman wrote.
The announcement has been met with enthusiasm in New Delhi. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw welcomed the development, emphasizing that India is uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of AI-driven transformation.
In his response on X, Vaishnaw said:
“Bharat is uniquely positioned to drive the next wave of AI-led transformation. As part of the IndiaAI Mission, we are building the ecosystem for trusted and inclusive AI. We welcome OpenAI’s partnership in advancing this vision to ensure the benefits of AI reach every citizen.”
The minister also highlighted India’s strategy of building an end-to-end AI stack, which includes GPUs, models, and applications. Earlier this year, Vaishnaw had met Altman in New Delhi, where they discussed India’s AI roadmap. The meeting saw participation from several startups, with Vaishnaw encouraging them to come up with innovative solutions. He also revealed that Altman expressed willingness to collaborate with India across all levels of AI development.
During that interaction, Vaishnaw stressed the importance of creating a robust AI ecosystem in India. “We are very soon starting a kind of open competition (for AI),” the Minister said, hinting at upcoming initiatives under the IndiaAI Mission to encourage innovation.
The announcement of OpenAI’s India office is being seen as a strategic milestone, as global tech leaders increasingly view India not just as a large consumer base but also as a hub for AI research, innovation, and talent development.
With Altman’s upcoming visit and OpenAI’s formal entry into the Indian market, the move is expected to further strengthen India’s global standing in the AI revolution.