OpenAI to open first India office in New Delhi by 2025, to begin hiring soon

PTC Web Desk:  Artificial intelligence leader OpenAI, the company behind the widely popular chatbot ChatGPT, is set to establish its first corporate office in India (New Delhi)  by the end of 2025, marking the country as a critical hub for its global expansion strategy. The announcement was made on Friday, with OpenAI confirming that hiring has already begun to build a local team. Currently, the company has only one employee in India—Pragya Misra, who oversees public policy and partnerships.

Co-founder Sam Altman emphasised India’s importance in the global AI ecosystem, stating: “India has all the ingredients to become a global AI leader—amazing tech talent, a world-class developer ecosystem, and strong government support through the India AI Mission. Opening our first office and building a local team is an important step toward making advanced AI more accessible and building AI for India, with India.”

India has emerged as ChatGPT’s largest international market, second only to the United States, and also one of its fastest-growing. Over the past year, the platform has seen a fourfold rise in weekly active users, with students forming the largest user group globally. Additionally, India ranks among the top five developer markets for OpenAI, underscoring its strategic value.

To cater to this rapidly growing user base, OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Go, a subscription plan exclusive to India priced at Rs 399 per month with integrated UPI payment support. The plan allows users to send messages and generate images up to 10 times more than the free version.

OpenAI also offers two premium plans for heavy users: ChatGPT Plus at Rs 1,999 per month and ChatGPT Pro at Rs 19,900 per month These plans provide priority access, faster responses, and higher usage limits.

In partnership with the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), OpenAI has announced the launch of an OpenAI Academy, an AI literacy programme aimed at building awareness and skills across India. Altman noted that the company’s GPT-5 model now has significantly improved capabilities in understanding Indian languages, tying into the academy’s mission.

For students—the largest ChatGPT user base in India—OpenAI has also rolled out Study Mode, which offers personalised answers, interactive questioning, and step-by-step guidance to support learning.

Beyond the New Delhi office, OpenAI will also host its first Education Summit in India in August and a Developer Day later this year, bringing together students, developers, startups, and enterprises working on AI innovations tailored to Indian needs.

Welcoming the move, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said OpenAI’s decision reflects India’s rising leadership in digital innovation and AI adoption. He confirmed the company’s collaboration with the India AI Mission, which aims to tap into the country’s deep pool of tech talent and developer networks.