OpenAI has announced free ChatGPT use for Indians starting November 4, 2025, in what many see as an important moment for accessible artificial intelligence. The move, positioned as a limited-time promotion, could mark the beginning of an AI transformation in one of the world’s largest digital markets. While the company has not specified how long the offer window will remain open, existing ChatGPT Go subscribers in India will also receive the same 12-month complimentary access.
ChatGPT Go was launched in India in August 2025 as OpenAI’s entry-level paid plan. Priced at Rs 399 per month (less than $5), the plan offers several advantages over the standard free tier. It includes significantly more message and image-generation capacity, file uploads, and enhanced personalization through expanded memory.
Expansion Focus in India
Industry analysts say the move highlights India’s growing importance to OpenAI’s global operations. The country has rapidly emerged as one of the fastest-growing markets for generative AI tools, fueled by rising smartphone penetration, increased internet access, and a young digital user base.
According to internal data cited by OpenAI, millions of Indians interact daily with ChatGPT across devices ranging from mobile apps to PCs. However, despite the strong usage numbers, converting users in India into paying subscribers has been challenging for most generative AI platforms.
Between May and August 2025, ChatGPT was downloaded over 29 million times in India, yet the app generated only about $3.6 million in in-app revenue during the same period, according to estimates from analytics firm Appfigures reported by TechCrunch. The new initiative offering free access to ChatGPT Go suggests an effort to deepen user engagement and gather further data insights from one of the world’s largest tech markets.
Growing Market Engagement
Nick Turley, OpenAI’s Vice President and Head of ChatGPT, said the company had been inspired by the creativity and adoption from Indian users since the launch of ChatGPT Go earlier this year. “Ahead of our first DevDay Exchange event in India, we’re making ChatGPT Go freely available for a year to help more people across India access and benefit from advanced AI,” Turley said in a statement.
OpenAI opened its first Indian office in New Delhi in August 2025, part of a broader effort to establish a local presence and build partnerships across education, business, and government. The company is currently hiring engineers, partnership managers, and policy experts for its India operations.
The upcoming DevDay Exchange conference, scheduled for November 4 in Bengaluru, is expected to feature new announcements tailored for Indian developers and enterprises. Observers anticipate that OpenAI may use the event to unveil API expansions or local-language support initiatives aimed at enhancing adoption among small businesses and startups.
Rising AI Competition
Meanwhile, competition in the Indian AI landscape continues to intensify. Perplexity recently partnered with telecom operator Airtel to provide free access to its Perplexity Pro plan for the company’s 360 million subscribers. Google has also stepped up its outreach by offering students across India a one-year free AI Pro membership valued at Rs 19,500.
With these developments, analysts expect India to become a key testing ground for AI companies trying to balance user growth with sustainable monetization strategies. As the cost of access drops and awareness spreads, India’s expanding digital audience provides an immense opportunity for AI-driven consumer and enterprise applications.
The free-access offer positions OpenAI to further strengthen its foothold in the country, where it faces both enthusiastic adoption and fierce competition from domestic and global players looking to define the next phase of accessible artificial intelligence.
