OpenAI has already been scaling its presence in India. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is scheduled to travel to the country in mid-February. Altman’s trip to India comes almost a year to the day since he last visited. His visit will overlap during the India AI Impact Summit 2026, happening February 16–20. The popularity of the convening is expected to attract unprecedented investments, with some estimates exceeding $100 billion. This marks the increasing importance of India in the world’s growing AI arena.
In recent months OpenAI has been looking to deepen its India footprint, with extensive potential applications spanning education to entertainment and media. The company’s efforts reflect a broader trend among global AI firms seeking to tap into India’s enterprise customers, startup ecosystem, and developer community. In fact, OpenAI is aggressively recruiting for these roles—furthering their strategy. These positions span enterprise sales, technical deployment, and legal AI regulation specialty.
Altman’s trip to New Delhi on February 19 will be especially exciting. He wants to get in front of Japanese venture capitalists and industry executives while he’s there. Through this collaboration, we hope to facilitate important conversations about the future of AI and how to best employ it within the Indian market. OpenAI is making no secret of its deepening ambitions in India. That, the company hopes, will increase ChatGPT’s adoption, its most popular product, particularly on the enterprise side of things.
As a result, India has become ChatGPT’s biggest market by downloads and second-biggest market by users in the world. OpenAI hopes to ride this wave, seizing the moment with plans to further ChatGPT’s adoption as a mass-market product in India. To support this growth, OpenAI is currently listing job openings in major cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
Engaging with Indian stakeholders should be more than just recruitment fairs and conferences. We engage deeply in developing local coalitions that span all sectors. OpenAI mainly concentrates on technical deployment and regulatory affairs. This commitment enables it to better navigate the often unique challenges present within the Indian market.
Altman’s visit comes at a time when innovation in AI is accelerating at breakneck speed. It will be important for firms like OpenAI to develop real grassroots ties to – and trust among – the larger Indian technology ecosystem. Altman’s in-depth discussions with leading tech executives and startup founders. He expressed hope that what he learns will help inform and hone OpenAI’s approaches to the region.
As India’s AI ecosystem continues to evolve, OpenAI’s presence signifies a recognition of the country’s potential as a base for infrastructure expansion. Through its proactive approach, the company is well-positioned to cater to the growing demand for AI-driven solutions across various sectors in India.
