India leads in ChatGPT growth, lags in revenue

India has become ChatGPT’s fastest-growing market, driven by rising engagement and viral tools like Ghibli-style image generation. However, monetising this surge remains a challenge for OpenAI, with Indian users spending just US$ 8 million on subscriptions since 2023, compared to US$ 330 million by US users.

India has emerged as ChatGPT’s fastest-growing market, but OpenAI is struggling to translate this momentum into significant revenue, TechCrunch reported, citing third-party data. Despite rising engagement, the subscription income from India remains much lower than what the company earns in the United States.

According to analytics firm SensorTower, Indian users have spent US$ 8 million on ChatGPT subscriptions via in-app payments since 2023, excluding web-based payments. In comparison, US users have spent around US$ 330 million during the same period. ChatGPT’s most affordable plan is priced at US$ 20 per month (over Rs 1,700), which remains a steep price for a digital service in the Indian market. OpenAI’s chief operating officer, Brad Lightcap, recently described India as the company’s fastest-growing market in a post on X.

Data from Appfigures highlights that over 20% of ChatGPT’s Android app downloads in 2025 so far have come from India, underlining the platform’s surging popularity.

A major boost in engagement came after the viral launch of a new image-generation tool that creates Ghibli-style art. OpenAI said the platform gained one million users in an hour, a moment CEO Sam Altman called one of the “craziest viral moments” he had seen. In comparison, the chatbot took five days to hit one million users in 2022.

India is fast emerging as a global leader in artificial intelligence. In a post on X, Altman wrote: “What’s happening with AI adoption in India right now is amazing to watch. We love to see the explosion of creativity—India is outpacing the world.”

During his February visit to New Delhi, Altman met Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and said India had the potential to lead the AI revolution, citing its growing tech ecosystem. “India is very important to us and we hope to have more to share soon. It’s a market we want to do way more in, and are working on some large partnerships here. It’ll be a core part of our future,” Altman told ET in an interview in February.