OpenAI’s India experiment: scale before monetization
With India’s 800-million-plus mobile internet users, OpenAI is testing freemium economics on an unprecedented scale.
Why it’s significant
- The offer includes localized support and lighter infrastructure, making it viable on mid-range devices.
- It’s a clear play for user data and ecosystem entrenchment, especially as competitors like Google and Anthropic ramp up regional presence.
- Local startups see both opportunity and risk: access to top-tier AI, but at the cost of OpenAI becoming the default cognitive layer in the market.
The business angle
This is OpenAI’s biggest user-growth initiative outside the U.S., and likely a blueprint for expansion into other developing economies in 2026.