OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced that India is now the company’s second-largest market in terms of user numbers, reports Reuters.
According to Altman, the user base in India has tripled during the past year.
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Recently, Altman held talks with India’s IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in respect of the country’s plans for a low-cost AI ecosystem.
On the social media platform X, Vaishnaw said the discussion with Altman focused on India’s strategy to build an entire AI stack, including GPUs, models, and applications.
Vaishnaw also indicated OpenAI’s willingness to collaborate on all three fronts.
In January 2025, Vaishnaw praised Chinese startup DeepSeek for its cost-effective AI assistant, drawing a comparison to India’s efforts to develop a local AI model.
In March 2024, India approved $1.25bn for IndiaAI mission to fund AI startups and build its own AI infrastructure.
Concurrently, Altman is set to visit the United Arab Emirates, to discuss fundraising with Abu Dhabi-based investment company MGX, reported Reuters citing sources.
OpenAI is reportedly looking to raise around $40bn to support its AI model development and infrastructure expansion under its Stargate project.
MGX participated in OpenAI’s $6.6bn funding round in October 2024, and has invested in other AI firms, including xAI and Databricks.
In January 2025, OpenAI and SoftBank announced plans for Stargate AI infrastructure project.
The project involves an initial investment of $100bn, with plans to increase this to $500bn during the next four years.
Stargate aims to build “new AI infrastructure for OpenAI”, with the initial funding being deployed “immediately”.
