OpenAI's Free ChatGPT Go Offer in India

Offer Details and Strategic Expansion

OpenAI announced the availability of the ChatGPT Go plan for free for a full year to all users in India, a strategic move aimed at boosting its expansion in one of the most prominent global markets.

OpenAI's announcement of this important promotional offer came on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, with activation beginning on November 4, 2025. The offer includes new and existing subscribers to the ChatGPT Go service within India, allowing them to benefit from the free 12-month subscription plan.

The ChatGPT Go service was launched in India in August 2025, and at the time, it was OpenAI's most affordable paid plan, priced under $5 per month. The service then expanded to Indonesia, and further extended to cover 16 other Asian countries this month.

India, as the world's most populous country with over 700 million smartphone users and more than a billion internet subscribers, represents a vital strategic market for OpenAI. The company opened its office in New Delhi last August and is actively working on building a local team to strengthen and expand its presence.

Challenges and Key Features of the Plan

Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, previously stated this year that India is the company's second-largest market after the United States. Despite this, ChatGPT's paid plans have faced challenges in generating the desired revenue in the country. Although the app recorded over 29 million downloads in the ninety days leading up to August, it only generated $3.6 million from in-app purchases during that period, according to Appfigures data reviewed by TechCrunch.

The ChatGPT Go plan offers advanced features, providing ten times greater usage than the free version for generating responses, creating images, and uploading files. Additionally, the plan features enhanced memory to deliver more accurate and personalized responses, as stated by OpenAI.

Executive Insights and Market Competition

In an official statement, Nick Turley, VP and Head of ChatGPT, expressed his enthusiasm, saying: "Since the first launch of ChatGPT Go in India a few months ago, the level of adoption and creativity we have seen from our users has been truly inspiring. We eagerly look forward to seeing the amazing achievements our users will accomplish, learn, and build with these innovative tools."

Competing companies to OpenAI, such as Perplexity and Google, are seeking to capitalize on opportunities in the Indian market, leveraging the large and youthful user base. Perplexity recently partnered with Airtel to offer free Perplexity Pro subscriptions to 360 million of the telecom company's subscribers. Similarly, Google launched a free one-year AI Pro plan for students in India.

Future Prospects and Growth in India

OpenAI is preparing to host its DevDay Exchange developer conference in Bengaluru on November 4, 2025, coinciding with the launch of the free ChatGPT Go offer in India. The conference is expected to feature important announcements specifically aimed at Indian developers and local businesses. The company confirmed that India has become one of the fastest-growing markets for ChatGPT, with millions of users interacting with the chatbot daily.