OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is doubling down on India, labelling the world’s most populous nation a potential “full-stack AI leader” as the San Francisco-based startup prepares to expand its physical presence and government ties in the region.
Writing for The Times of India ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam, Altman stated that India has surged to become OpenAI’s second-largest user base globally, trailing only the United States. The pivot toward New Delhi signals a strategic shift for the Microsoft-backed AI pioneer, which is increasingly looking toward the Global South to sustain its breakneck growth.
Infrastructure as Destiny
Altman outlined a vision for “Democratic AI”, arguing that India possesses the rare combination of homegrown technical talent, a massive scale of data, and “infectious optimism”.
OpenAI opened its first India office in Delhi last August. Altman said the company plans to significantly increase its headcount and footprint within the year. The expansion comes as India clocks 100 million weekly active users on OpenAI platforms, driven largely by a student population that is now the largest user group of ChatGPT worldwide.
“AI will help define India’s future, and India will help define AI’s future,” Altman stated. “And it will do so in a way only a democracy can.”
The Three-Pillar Strategy
To bridge what he calls a “capability overhang”—where access exists but skills do not—Altman proposed a trifold framework for India’s AI evolution:
- Access: Making tools available regardless of income or education levels.
- Adoption: Integrating AI into the “analog” economy: schools, clinics, and SMEs.
- Agency: Developing “AI literacy” so users can move from consumers to builders.
The CEO’s visit next week is expected to culminate in high-level agreements with the government. These partnerships will likely align with the IndiaAI Mission, a ₹10,371 crore ($1.25 billion) state-led initiative designed to bolster sovereign compute capacity and multilingual AI applications for healthcare and agriculture.
A Sovereign AI Play
Altman’s overtures come at a critical time. The Indian government has been vocal about its “Full-Stack AI” approach, treating compute power and datasets as essential national infrastructure rather than just private commodities.
By positioning OpenAI as a partner to the state, Altman is navigating a complex regulatory landscape where “data sovereignty” is a recurring theme. The company’s new free tool for scientific research, Prism, has already seen its fourth-highest global adoption rate in India, suggesting that the country is moving beyond simple chatbots into high-level R&D.
The Global AI Impact Summit, starting Monday, will host over 15 heads of government and 100 global CXOs.