OpenAI sees India as a key AI market with rapid user growth

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has identified India as its second-largest market, with user numbers tripling over the past year. During a discussion hosted by OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman highlighted India’s importance to the company’s growth and the broader AI ecosystem.

Altman, currently on a world tour, arrived in India on Tuesday night and met IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw alongside leading start-ups and venture capitalists. He is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“India has made remarkable strides in AI development,” Altman observed, encouraging the country to position itself as a leader in the ongoing AI revolution. He praised India’s diverse range of technological developments, from chips to AI applications.

Vaishnaw shared India’s comprehensive AI strategy, focusing on chip design, building foundational models, and developing AI applications. He expressed confidence in India’s ability to achieve cost-effective solutions, similar to the country’s success in launching space missions at reduced costs.

Altman’s visit coincides with the rising popularity of DeepSeek, a Chinese foundational model developed at a fraction of OpenAI’s costs. The model has demonstrated that high-quality AI systems can be built with less investment.

Addressing questions on the cost of AI development, Altman acknowledged advancements in model distillation that reduce training costs, though he maintained that cutting-edge AI would still require substantial investment.

Vaishnaw drew parallels between India’s space programme and AI ambitions, stating, “If we can send a mission to the Moon at a fraction of the cost, we can certainly develop AI models more affordably.”

Following the discussion, Vaishnaw announced on X that he had a “super cool discussion” with Altman about India’s AI strategy, emphasising collaboration on GPUs, models, and applications.

Source: Indian Express