OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Ads in India for 100M Users

OpenAI has launched advertising on ChatGPT's Free and Go subscription tiers in India. The country has more than 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, making it one of the largest markets for the product. Fifty initial brands are already running campaigns, with a full self-serve ad manager set to launch the following month.

The minimum daily budget for campaigns is ₹725, roughly $7.60. WPP and Omnicom are handling initial brand partnerships. OpenAI positioned the ads as appearing at 'relevant, high-context moments when decisions are beginning to take shape' — a framing designed to differentiate them from traditional display advertising.

1India Strategy and Revenue Context

OpenAI has made India a priority market. The company launched a sub-$5 Go plan in August 2025, ran year-long free access promotions, and recruited leadership from Uber's India operations. The advertising rollout is the latest step in monetizing a large, price-sensitive user base that has resisted paid subscriptions at Western price points.

OpenAI reported $6.7 billion in Q2 2026 revenue and is targeting 220 million paying subscribers by 2030. The ad business adds a parallel revenue stream: one that does not require users to pay, but converts their attention and queries into advertising value instead.

2Global Ad Rollout Timeline

The India launch follows earlier ad rollouts in the United States in February 2026 and in Europe in August 2026. OpenAI is systematically expanding the advertising model across its largest free-tier markets before the anticipated IPO.

For the AI industry, ChatGPT's ad-supported tier represents a significant shift: the world's largest AI assistant is now a media platform competing for brand budgets alongside search engines and social networks. How advertisers respond to ChatGPT's ad format — and whether users accept it — will shape how other AI products approach monetization.