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India Surpasses US as ChatGPT's Largest User Base, Altman Says

OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman has revealed that India now hosts more ChatGPT users than the United States, attributing the growth to the nation's distinctive entrepreneurial spirit and developer mindset.

LSN India · 4 November 2026

In remarks to podcaster Raj Shamani, Altman highlighted India's emergence as OpenAI's largest market by user count, marking a significant milestone for the AI chatbot platform since its global launch. The OpenAI CEO credited Indian users' strong "builder energy" and propensity for technological innovation as key drivers behind the country's position at the forefront of ChatGPT adoption.

India's digital ecosystem, characterized by a large population of young tech-savvy professionals and entrepreneurs, has proven particularly receptive to generative AI tools. The rapid uptake reflects broader trends of digital transformation across the subcontinent, where startups and developers are increasingly leveraging AI technologies to build new applications and services.

Altman's comments underscore the growing importance of emerging markets to OpenAI's business strategy. India's dense developer community and entrepreneurial culture have positioned the country as a crucial testing ground and growth engine for advanced AI applications, particularly as the technology continues to evolve beyond its initial consumer use cases.

The revelation comes as competition in the generative AI space intensifies globally, with multiple players vying for market dominance across different regions. India's substantial user base represents both a validation of ChatGPT's appeal and an indicator of the country's readiness to embrace cutting-edge technology at scale.