India is rapidly emerging as a global force in Artificial Intelligence, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledging the country’s pivotal role in shaping AI advancements. Speaking at a fireside chat with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Altman emphasized India’s full-stack AI model, spanning chips, models, and applications, and highlighted OpenAI’s surging user base in the country.

"India should be among the leaders of the AI revolution," Altman asserted, noting that OpenAI’s users in India have tripled over the past year. His endorsement comes amid India’s ambitious AI push, including plans to develop a sovereign AI model.

The Indian government recently unveiled its strategy to build a foundational AI model, aiming to provide an affordable alternative to global offerings like ChatGPT and DeepSeek R1. The initiative includes a massive compute facility powered by 18,693 GPUs to support startups and researchers. With a government-subsidized cost of just ?100 ($1.16) per hour, India's AI model is set to disrupt the industry.

Altman’s visit coincides with heightened competition in the AI space, as Chinese upstart DeepSeek’s R1 model challenges the dominance of Western AI giants. Nvidia’s historic $590 billion market value wipeout further underscores the shifting landscape.

Meanwhile, OpenAI faces legal challenges in India over copyright concerns, though it maintains it only uses publicly available data. The company is also expanding global partnerships, including a 50:50 venture with Japan’s SoftBank.

With the U.S. ramping up private AI investments and India fortifying its sovereign AI ambitions, the global AI race is intensifying. As Minister Vaishnaw aptly put it, "Innovation can come from anywhere—why shouldn’t it come from India?"

India is rapidly emerging as a global force in Artificial Intelligence, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledging the country’s pivotal role in shaping AI advancements. Speaking at a fireside chat with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Altman emphasized India’s full-stack AI model, spanning chips, models, and applications, and highlighted OpenAI’s surging user base in the country.

"India should be among the leaders of the AI revolution," Altman asserted, noting that OpenAI’s users in India have tripled over the past year. His endorsement comes amid India’s ambitious AI push, including plans to develop a sovereign AI model.

The Indian government recently unveiled its strategy to build a foundational AI model, aiming to provide an affordable alternative to global offerings like ChatGPT and DeepSeek R1. The initiative includes a massive compute facility powered by 18,693 GPUs to support startups and researchers. With a government-subsidized cost of just ?100 ($1.16) per hour, India's AI model is set to disrupt the industry.

Altman’s visit coincides with heightened competition in the AI space, as Chinese upstart DeepSeek’s R1 model challenges the dominance of Western AI giants. Nvidia’s historic $590 billion market value wipeout further underscores the shifting landscape.

Meanwhile, OpenAI faces legal challenges in India over copyright concerns, though it maintains it only uses publicly available data. The company is also expanding global partnerships, including a 50:50 venture with Japan’s SoftBank.

With the U.S. ramping up private AI investments and India fortifying its sovereign AI ambitions, the global AI race is intensifying. As Minister Vaishnaw aptly put it, "Innovation can come from anywhere—why shouldn’t it come from India?"