The company announced the move on Wednesday during the ATx Summit in Singapore, where it also launched “OpenAI for Singapore”, a partnership with the country’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI).

Under the initiative, OpenAI said it will commit more than S$300 million to Singapore and create about 200 technical roles over the next few years.

The company added that Singapore will become one of its global bases for Forward-Deployed Engineers, teams that work directly with businesses and public institutions to deploy AI systems.

The new lab will support projects tied to Singapore’s national AI priorities, especially in public services, healthcare, finance and digital infrastructure.

Denise Dresser, chief revenue officer at OpenAI, said the company sees Singapore as a key market because of its technical talent and long-term AI ambitions.

“We’re excited to partner with Singapore as it builds on its position as a global leader in AI,” she said.

“Singapore has strong technical talent, trusted institutions, and a clear ambition to use AI to drive long-term growth and improve people’s lives.”

She added: “Through OpenAI for Singapore, we want to help more organisations benefit from frontier AI, support the next generation of local AI talent, and widen access to these tools across the country.”

Singapore has spent the past few years positioning itself as a neutral and trusted centre for AI development in Asia. The government has steadily increased spending on AI research and infrastructure while encouraging global technology firms to expand operations in the country.

Authorities earlier pledged S$1 billion between 2025 and 2030 to strengthen public AI research capabilities. Tech giants including Google, Nvidia, AWS and Microsoft have also announced AI-related investments and partnerships in Singapore.

Alongside the OpenAI AI Lab deal, Singapore recently unveiled a National AI Partnership with Google focused on education, healthcare and enterprise innovation. Nvidia is also establishing a new AI research lab in the country to work with universities and government agencies.

The partnership with OpenAI will also include education and workforce programmes. OpenAI said it plans to work with Singapore’s Ministry of Education and GovTech on AI-powered learning tools, including support for Mother Tongue language learning.

The company will also launch a Singapore chapter of the OpenAI Academy, organise Codex hackathons for teachers and introduce a training programme for Forward-Deployed Engineers.

Singapore’s Permanent Secretary for Digital Development and Information, Chng Kai Fong, said the partnership shows the government’s drive to prepare its workforce and economy for AI adoption.

“With AI reshaping economies, businesses and the workforce, Singapore’s response has been deliberate: growing new sectors, anchoring global frontier companies here, and equipping our people with the skills to thrive in this new environment,” he said.

“This partnership with OpenAI reflects the Government’s commitment to developing Singapore’s AI capabilities, strengthening enterprise adoption of AI, and securing good jobs for Singaporeans.”

OpenAI said it also plans to support smaller businesses and startups through workshops, accelerator programmes and practical AI adoption initiatives.

Countries are currently competing to attract AI investment, talent and infrastructure. Singapore is not left out, standing alongside hubs such as London, Dubai and Silicon Valley to lead AI development.

Recent data from Slack’s Workforce Index showed that about 52% of workers in Singapore already use AI tools in their jobs, underlining how quickly adoption is spreading across the country’s economy.

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.

The company has just introduced its lowest-priced monthly plan in the country at ₹399 (around $4.60) to increase adoption. 

That pricing lands days before the office announcement and shows the playbook: win on reach, then build locally. Weekly active users in India have quadrupled in the past year, driven largely by students. I see a race for scale first, revenue later. 

“Opening our first office and building a local team is an important first step in our commitment to make advanced AI more accessible across the country and to build AI for India, and with India,” said CEO Sam Altman. 

The firm says the India team will deepen ties with government, developers, universities and businesses, and it plans an Education Summit this month and a Developer Day in the country later this year. 

OpenAI has been laying the groundwork for months. It hired Pragya Misra (ex-Truecaller, Meta) to lead public policy and partnerships, and brought on former Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly as a senior adviser to work on government engagement. The company already runs offices elsewhere in Asia, including Japan, Singapore and South Korea. 

India is a hard market to monetise, and OpenAI faces heavy competition. Google pushes Gemini plans in India, while Perplexity has teamed up with Bharti Airtel to give more than 360 million customers a year of Perplexity Pro at no cost, an assertive offer in a price-sensitive market. 

If you’re OpenAI, you don’t ignore that kind of bundling; you match it with local pricing and on-the-ground presence.

Regulatory clouds are forming as well. News agency ANI and the Digital News Publishers Association have sued OpenAI in the Delhi High Court over alleged unauthorised use of copyrighted material to train its systems. 

OpenAI denies wrongdoing. How those cases land could impact what’s permissible for training data in India. We’ll be watching that. 

India’s government, meanwhile, is publicly welcoming the move. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said: “OpenAI’s decision to establish a presence in India reflects the country’s growing leadership in digital innovation and AI adoption … we welcome OpenAI’s partnership in advancing this vision to ensure the benefits of AI reach every citizen.” The political signal is to build here, and help scale a national ecosystem.

Bottom line: a cut-price plan, local hiring, and a New Delhi, India office, address show OpenAI is betting big on India’s users and talent. The prize is huge. So are the risks — legal, competitive, and commercial.