AI Boom in India: Sam Altman Says "India is Outpacing the World
Sam Altman Praises India’s AI Boom as Ghibli-Style ChatGPT Images Go Viral
The AI Craze That’s Sweeping India—And Sam Altman’s Loving It
India is experiencing a digital artistic explosion—and it’s powered by AI.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently took to social media to express his amazement at the speed and scale of AI adoption in India. He called it nothing short of “amazing to watch,” highlighting the creativity and innovation coming out of the country.
“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.” — Sam Altman, April 2, 2025
This praise comes hot on the heels of a viral moment where Altman shared a Ghibli-style anime image of himself as an Indian cricket player—generated by ChatGPT’s new image feature.
The Ghibli Effect: How AI Art is Taking Over Indian Social Media
ChatGPT’s New Feature Unlocks a Wave of Creativity
In late March, OpenAI rolled out a powerful image-generation feature directly inside ChatGPT, powered by the newly enhanced GPT-4o model. What followed was an internet frenzy—especially in India.
Social media platforms quickly filled with whimsical, Studio Ghibli-inspired AI images. These weren’t just selfies in anime form; users began feeding ChatGPT everything from old Bollywood movie scenes to historical photos and seeing them reimagined in the magical Ghibli aesthetic.
It’s easy to see why it went viral:
- It’s nostalgic.
- It’s creative.
- And most importantly—it's fun.
India’s young, tech-savvy user base has embraced the feature wholeheartedly, pushing it to viral status within days of launch.
India: OpenAI’s Second Biggest Market
Massive Growth in Users—and Possibly Paid Subscriptions
During his February visit to India, Altman made a major revelation: India is OpenAI’s second largest market after the United States. The user base has tripled in the last year alone.
“India is an incredibly important market for AI in general, for OpenAI in particular. Users here have tripled in the last year. The innovation that’s happening is really incredible.” — Sam Altman
According to government tech advisor Aakrit Vaish, India now has around 10 million daily active users (DAUs) on ChatGPT. He even speculates that nearly 1 million Indians could be paid ChatGPT subscribers, based on current global numbers.
Considering the global subscriber count stands at around 20 million, this puts India at a very significant slice of the AI pie.
Jio + ChatGPT: A Potential Game-Changer
Talks Underway to Bring AI to the Masses at Lower Prices
In a move that could supercharge AI accessibility, OpenAI is reportedly in talks with Reliance Jio Platforms to distribute ChatGPT more widely across India.
There are also rumors that OpenAI may soon slash the ChatGPT subscription fee in India—from $20/month to just a few dollars. This pricing shift could dramatically increase adoption, making powerful AI tools available to millions more.
If the partnership with Jio goes through, it could mirror how Reliance revolutionized India’s internet access years ago—with free or low-cost data.
This time, it could do the same for AI.
Why India May Lead the Global AI Revolution
Creativity, Affordability, and Scale
India is often seen as the "MAU (monthly active user) farm" of the digital world due to its large population and smartphone penetration. But this time, it's more than just numbers.
What’s different now?
- Massive youth population eager to create and experiment.
- Widespread English literacy, making AI tools more accessible.
- Affordable smartphones and internet, largely due to Jio.
- Cultural richness, offering diverse input for AI to learn and evolve.
Sam Altman’s praise isn’t just PR—it reflects a genuine shift in where the next wave of AI innovation might come from.
What’s Next: AI Tools for Everyone?
With AI image generation now native to ChatGPT and usage at an all-time high, we could be looking at a future where creative tools are as accessible as a smartphone app. If subscription prices drop and local distribution deals are sealed, India could go from one of the biggest user bases to the most influential creators of the AI era.
And if that Ghibli-style cricket-playing Sam Altman is anything to go by, the future of AI might just look a whole lot more animated—literally.
India’s AI moment is here. With global tech leaders paying close attention, all eyes are on how Indian users shape the next chapter of artificial intelligence.
