OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has signaled his willingness to collaborate with India in its efforts to develop low-cost artificial intelligence (AI) systems, according to India’s Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Speaking after a meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday, Vaishnaw said he had a “super cool discussion” with Altman about India’s strategy to create an entire AI ecosystem—including graphics processing units (GPUs), AI models, and applications. The minister confirmed that Altman was open to working with India on all three fronts, though he did not disclose specific details.
Altman emphasized India’s growing importance in the AI sector, revealing that the country is OpenAI’s second-largest market, with the number of users tripling over the past year.
“India is an incredibly important market for AI in general and for OpenAI in particular,” Altman said during a private meeting with Indian tech developers, as reported by the Press Trust of India. “India should be one of the leaders of the AI revolution.”
Altman also praised India’s technological progress, saying the country had embraced AI and was building an entire technology stack on top of it.
Vaishnaw drew parallels between India’s AI ambitions and its successful space program, which in 2023 landed an unmanned spacecraft on the Moon at a fraction of the cost of other space missions.
“Our country sent a mission to the Moon at a fraction of the cost that other countries did,” Vaishnaw said. “Why can’t we develop an AI model that is also a fraction of the cost?”
Altman responded by expressing enthusiasm for further collaboration, saying he was “really excited to do a lot more together.”
The discussions come ahead of the AI Summit in France, co-hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from February 10-11, where Altman is expected to participate.
Altman’s India visit is part of his Asia tour, during which he recently signed a deal with South Korean tech giant Kakao. His visit also comes at a time when the global AI industry is adjusting to increased competition from China, following the launch of AI rival DeepSeek last month.
