India overtakes US as OpenAI's largest user market

Nov 4, 2026
Sam Altman says India now leads the US in OpenAI users and is showing stronger optimism about artificial intelligence.

India has overtaken the US as OpenAI's largest market by user count, according to India Today. CEO Sam Altman confirmed India's lead during an interview with entrepreneur Raj Shamani on the Figuring Out podcast.

Altman said OpenAI's user base in India continues to grow quickly. He also said people in India tend to be more optimistic about artificial intelligence than people in the US and are using the technology to create businesses and complete practical tasks.

As one example, Altman described an Indian student who used OpenAI tools to organize a school fundraising campaign despite having no previous fundraising experience. He attributed India's stronger acceptance of AI partly to rapid economic growth and demand for more products and services.

Altman also said that not taking equity in OpenAI "has been a mistake." He said he made the decision "for what I thought were good reasons" but that it has been "hugely confusing to people."

We hope you enjoyed this article

Consider subscribing to one of our newsletters like Daily AI Brief.

Also, consider following us on social media:

AI Brief AI Brief (X)
Free newsletter

Daily AI Brief

Daily report covering major AI developments and industry news, with both top stories and complete market updates

Guide
AI accounts payable and spend tools

AI accounts payable and spend tools

AI products for invoices, payables and spend

Industry analysis

2025 Global Business Services Agenda: Gen AI Takes Center Stage

The Hackett Group

This industry analysis by The Hackett Group explores the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) on global business services (GBS) in 2025. The study highlights the shift from exploration to acceleration of Gen AI initiatives, with 89% of executives advancing these projects to improve customer satisfaction, innovate products, and reduce costs. The report also discusses the challenges and strategies for successful Gen AI adoption, emphasizing the need for a technology-enabled operating model and the importance of reskilling the workforce.

Read more

You may also like

Free, six days a week

Daily AI Brief: the AI news that matters, in your inbox.