In bid to strengthen its presence in India, OpenAI is providing one year of free access to its ChatGPT Go plan for new and existing users in the country who sign up starting November 4.
The offer coincides with the company’s first developer conference in India, DevDay Exchange Bengaluru, where local partnerships and initiatives are expected to be announced.
This development is part of OpenAI’s goal to expand in one of its fastest-growing markets, as India plays a very important role in the company’s global strategy.
The offer comes in the midst of stiff competition from competitors like Google and Perplexity, both of which have recently launched similar promotions aimed at capturing India’s massive AI-curious population.
ChatGPT Go, which was introduced in India in August, is OpenAI’s most affordable paid tier, priced at under $5 a month. It offers 10 times more usage than the free version, allowing users to generate longer responses, create images, and upload files. The plan also includes improved memory, enabling more personalised interactions over time.
Nick Turley, OpenAI’s vice president and head of ChatGPT, said the company has been impressed by user engagement since launching the plan. “Since initially launching ChatGPT Go in India a few months ago, the adoption and creativity we’ve seen from our users has been inspiring,” Turley said. “We’re excited to see the amazing things our users will build, learn, and achieve with these tools.”
India, home to more than 700 million smartphone users and over a billion internet subscribers, has become an essential market for AI adoption. OpenAI opened its New Delhi office in August and is actively hiring to build a local team focused on growth and localisation.
However, while engagement is high, monetisation remains a challenge. According to Appfigures data, ChatGPT recorded about 29 million downloads in the 90 days leading up to August but generated only $3.6 million in in-app purchases during that period.
The new free offer could help OpenAI enhance user loyalty and drive long-term adoption among students, developers, and small businesses, the demographic groups most likely to benefit from the expanded access.
The timing of the promotion also reveals OpenAI’s response to increased competition in the region. Perplexity recently partnered with Airtel to offer 360 million subscribers free access to Perplexity Pro, while Google has rolled out a complimentary one-year AI Pro plan for Indian students.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Go sits strategically between its free plan and premium Plus tier, offering features such as GPT-5 access, higher message limits, and daily image generation.
With India being one of its top two markets, behind only the United States, this initiative could help the company balance user growth with sustainable revenue.
