OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has highlighted India's critical role in the global AI landscape, describing it as OpenAI's second-largest market with tripled user growth in a year. He praised India's "full stack model" approach, urging it to lead the AI revolution. India is advancing its own cost-effective foundational AI model and affordable compute facilities to rival global players like ChatGPT. Despite legal challenges, Altman lauded India’s innovation, as the nation strengthens its position in the dynamic global AI sphere.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized India's pivotal role in the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, calling it an essential market for both AI and OpenAI. During a fireside chat with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Altman highlighted India's "full stack model" approach and expressed his belief that the country should be at the forefront of the AI revolution.
Altman shared some impressive statistics regarding OpenAI's growth in India, noting that the company has tripled its user base in the country over the past year. "India is an incredibly important market for AI in general, for OpenAI in particular. It's our second biggest market. Tripled users here in the last year, but mostly seeing what people in India are building with AI at all levels of the stack—chips, models, you know, all of the incredible applications," he remarked. Altman praised India's comprehensive efforts in AI development, from hardware to cutting-edge applications.
Encouraging India to continue its ambitious AI journey, Altman stated, "I think India should be one of the leaders of the AI revolution. But it's really quite amazing to see what the country has done... embraced the technology and is building the entire stack of things on top of it." When asked for advice on India's global AI aspirations, he confidently added, "It seems to me like it's working."
Altman's comments reflect a significant shift in his perspective. In 2023, he faced criticism for expressing skepticism about powerful AI models emerging outside the United States. His current enthusiasm for India's progress underscores the country’s impressive strides in AI innovation. IT Minister Vaishnaw also echoed this optimism, stating, "Innovation can come from anywhere in the world—why shouldn't it come from India?"
Altman's visit coincided with a dynamic period in the global AI landscape. Chinese AI company DeepSeek recently disrupted the market with its cost-effective R1 model, which outperformed ChatGPT as the top free app on Apple’s App Store. This development left the U.S. tech industry stunned, with AI giant Nvidia experiencing a record-breaking $590 billion market value loss in a single day. Amidst these upheavals, Altman’s visit underscores OpenAI’s commitment to maintaining its leadership in the competitive AI domain.
India, meanwhile, is taking bold steps to assert its presence on the global AI stage. The country recently announced plans to develop its own foundational AI model, aiming to rival ChatGPT, DeepSeek R1, and others. As part of this initiative, India is building a "most affordable" common compute facility powered by 18,693 GPUs to support startups and researchers in AI development. Minister Vaishnaw revealed that the indigenous AI model will be cost-efficient, with usage rates as low as Rs 100 (1.16)perhouraftera401.16) per hour after a 40% government subsidy. This makes it significantly cheaper than global counterparts, which cost 1.16)perhouraftera402.5 to $3 per hour.
Vaishnaw expressed confidence in India's ability to deliver a world-class foundational model capable of competing with the best AI systems globally. "India is all set to launch its own safe and secure indigenous AI model at an affordable cost," he announced.
Altman’s visit also comes as OpenAI navigates legal challenges in India, including allegations of copyright breaches. OpenAI has maintained that it only uses publicly available data and has contested the jurisdiction of Indian courts in these matters.
Amid these developments, India’s resolve to establish itself as a global AI leader remains steadfast. With its robust plans for AI infrastructure and innovation, the nation is positioning itself as a force to be reckoned with in the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence.
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