Sam Altman India Visit 2026: OpenAI Eyes World’s Largest Download Market

India is ChatGPT's biggest market by downloads, but converting those users into paying subscribers remains a puzzle. Sam Altman is heading back to New Delhi to solve it.

Sam Altman India Visit 2026: Networking on the Sidelines

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans to visit India in mid-February, marking his first trip to the country in nearly a year, according to TechCrunch. The visit coincides with the 'India AI Impact Summit 2026', a major event in New Delhi set to host global tech leaders like Nvidia's Jensen Huang and Google's Sundar Pichai. While Altman isn't officially listed as a speaker, sources suggest he'll host high-stakes, closed-door meetings with venture capitalists and key government officials on February 19.

Navigating India's Infrastructure and Adoption Hurdles

Despite India's massive user base—it's ChatGPT's second-largest market by active users—monetization has been tough. To drive uptake, OpenAI introduced the 'ChatGPT Go' plan last year, priced under $5. Beyond software adoption, Altman is reportedly exploring India as a potential base for infrastructure expansion. However, India's IT ministry faces challenges; the country's data-center ambitions are hindered by high energy costs and water scarcity, factors that could slow the build-out for cloud providers.