OpenAI is preparing to build one of India’s largest data centres, with talks underway to secure local partners for a facility of at least one gigawatt capacity.
If completed, this would be a huge expansion of the company’s presence in Asia and strengthen India’s place in its global infrastructure plans.
The company, already backed by Microsoft, has formally registered as a legal entity in India and is assembling a team on the ground. It has also confirmed plans to open its first office in New Delhi later this year.
The scale of the proposed data centre shows that India is not just a growing user base but a strategic hub for OpenAI’s long-term operations.
This development is part of OpenAI’s “Stargate” programme, a massive AI infrastructure drive involving multi-gigawatt facilities across several regions. The rollout so far includes a 520-megawatt site in Norway, a five-gigawatt project in Abu Dhabi, and a 4.5-gigawatt buildout in the United States.
Together, these projects represent an investment of up to $500 billion, funded by SoftBank, Oracle and OpenAI.
India’s proposed one-gigawatt facility would be among the largest of its kind in the country. It aligns with the government’s $1.2 billion IndiaAI Mission, which aims to strengthen domestic AI capacity, support startups, and build sovereign data infrastructure.
For New Delhi, such a project could enhance the nation’s ambitions to become a top player in global AI development.
While the exact site and timeline are not confirmed, Bloomberg reported that OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman may announce further details during his visit to India in September. OpenAI itself has not commented on the reports.
Building a data centre in India also fits into the company’s “OpenAI for Countries” initiative, designed to provide nations with tailored AI models and infrastructure while preserving democratic values and data sovereignty. More than 30 countries have expressed interest, with India counted among the first group targeted for partnerships.
Alongside these infrastructure plans, OpenAI has stepped up education efforts in India. Earlier this year, it launched the OpenAI Learning Accelerator, which distributed 500,000 free ChatGPT licences to students and educators in partnership with the Ministry of Education, AICTE, and ARISE schools. The goal, according to the company, is to turn AI into a personal tutor and teaching assistant for millions.
A data centre by OpenAI in India might make the country host one of the AI giant’s largest facilities and also become a central pillar of its Asia-Pacific operations.
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