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OpenAI is giving Indian users a year of free access to its ChatGPT Go plan starting November 4. The offer comes alongside the company’s first DevDay Exchange event in Bengaluru and signals a stronger push into the Indian market. The move also ties in with India’s broader AI ambitions, as the government looks to expand the use of artificial intelligence in education, technology, and entrepreneurship.

Nick Turley, Vice-President and Head of ChatGPT at OpenAI, said the decision followed an enthusiastic response from Indian users. “Ahead of our first DevDay Exchange event in India, we’re making ChatGPT Go freely available for a year to help more people across India easily access and benefit from advanced AI,” he said.

The free plan, available to anyone in India signing up during the promotional period, gives users access to the latest GPT-5 model with higher message limits, more daily image generations, longer memory, and the ability to upload files and images.

Existing ChatGPT Go subscribers in India will also be eligible for the 12-month free access, with detailed redemption information to be announced soon.

Launched in August, ChatGPT Go was introduced as a lower-cost plan at Rs 399 per month, designed to make advanced AI tools more affordable. It offers expanded access compared to the free version, though it remains more limited than the ChatGPT Plus and Pro plans, priced at Rs 1,999 and Rs 19,990 per month respectively.

India has become ChatGPT’s second-largest and one of its fastest-growing markets worldwide. Within a month of ChatGPT Go’s launch, the number of paid subscribers in India more than doubled.

Millions of students, developers, and professionals across the country now use ChatGPT to learn new skills, generate ideas, and build AI-powered projects. OpenAI said this response underscored India’s growing role as a global hub for AI adoption and creativity. The company has also been expanding its presence in India, opening its first office in New Delhi and recruiting for sales and education roles. It is collaborating with educational institutions, civil society organisations, and government programmes to make AI tools more inclusive and accessible.

OpenAI’s announcement comes amid a surge of global interest in India’s AI ecosystem. The move aligns with national efforts such as the IndiaAI Mission and comes ahead of the AI Impact Summit next year.

Ankit Kumar is a Senior Sub Editor at Zee Business. He covers international affairs, politics, climate change, business, finance and global elections. With experience acros