OpenAI’s visionary leader Sam Altman turned heads at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, declaring India the undisputed champion of AI expansion worldwide. With ChatGPT boasting over 100 million weekly users in the country, Altman’s optimism is backed by hard numbers.
‘India is one of the fastest-growing markets for us—possibly the fastest right now,’ Altman told reporters. He highlighted Codex’s meteoric rise here, cementing India’s status as an AI frontier.
Diverse users— from eager students to innovative entrepreneurs—are fueling this surge, reflecting a nationwide embrace of AI that outpaces global peers. This momentum signals India’s ascent in shaping the future of intelligent technologies.
The summit featured Altman’s major reveal: the ‘OpenAI for India’ program. Designed to create tailored AI solutions, it prioritizes infrastructure, skill-building, and strategic alliances. ‘We’re building AI with India, for India, in India,’ he affirmed.
Partnering first with the Tata Group, OpenAI aims to amplify access and unleash AI’s transformative potential. Key focus areas include sovereign AI development, industry integration, talent upskilling, and ecosystem nurturing.
Through the Stargate project, joint efforts will roll out massive data centers: initial 100MW capacity expandable to 1GW. TCS’s Hyperscale venture secures OpenAI as its inaugural client, promising cutting-edge infrastructure.
Altman lauded India’s robust talent pool, forward-thinking mindset, and policy backing. This synergy will host advanced models locally, delivering seamless performance, ironclad data protection, and regulatory harmony. India’s AI journey is just beginning, poised to redefine global innovation.