Back to all articles
•Technology

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Planned India Visit Amidst Major AI Summit Highlights Growing Interest in Indian Market

View original source

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to visit India in mid-February 2026, attending a series of closed-door meetings in New Delhi surrounding the India AI Impact Summit 2026. This visit marks his first trip to India in a year. Key details include:

  • The India AI Impact Summit will take place from February 16 to 20, hosting global tech leaders like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei along with Indian business magnates like Mukesh Ambani.
  • OpenAI plans to conduct an exclusive event on February 19 for venture capitalists and industry executives in New Delhi.
  • TechCrunch sources indicate that Anthropic will host a developer's day in Bengaluru, while Nvidia plans an evening event in New Delhi concurrently with the summit.
  • India represents a significant growth opportunity for US AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, with a rising demand for AI solutions, partnerships with major Indian firms, and potential infrastructure expansion.
  • India, recognized as ChatGPT's largest market by downloads, has struggled with converting this demand into paid subscriptions, prompting OpenAI to introduce a less expensive, $5 subscription.
  • During the visit, Altman is likely to engage with tech leaders, startups, and government officials about expanding ChatGPT's enterprise use and infrastructure development.
  • India's government anticipates the summit will position the nation as an attractive AI investment destination, potentially drawing $100 billion, despite infrastructural constraints.