OpenAI said it is expanding its presence in India through partnerships with higher-education institutions, marking a shift toward embedding AI directly into academic systems. The initiative includes six public and private institutions and aims to reach more than 100,000 students, faculty, and staff over the next year.
The first partners include the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi, alongside private universities and design-focused schools. OpenAI said the collaborations will span disciplines such as engineering, management, healthcare, and creative fields, with campus-wide access to its ChatGPT Edu tools, faculty training, and responsible-use frameworks.
India is already one of OpenAI’s largest consumer markets, with more than 100 million monthly ChatGPT users, according to Chief Executive Sam Altman. The education push comes as India hosts an AI Impact Summit in New Delhi and as global AI firms deepen local engagement.
Google recently said India leads global usage of its Gemini learning tools, while Microsoft announced plans to expand its Elevate skilling program for teachers. The moves highlight growing competition among AI firms to shape how AI skills are taught and scaled in India’s education system.
The partnerships also align with OpenAI’s broader Education for Countries initiative, a global program aimed at integrating AI tools into national education systems to address workforce shifts and growing AI-driven skills gaps.
