

ChatGPT downloads surge in India, but revenue lags behind: Report
OpenAI is struggling to convert that momentum into meaningful revenue, TechCrunch reported, citing third-party data. Despite rising engagement, subscription income from India remains a fraction of what the company earns in the United States.
Strong adoption, limited monetisation
According to analytics firm SensorTower, Indian users have spent $8 million on ChatGPT subscriptions via in-app payments since 2023, excluding web-based payments. In contrast, US users have spent around $330 million during the same period.
ChatGPT’s most affordable plan is priced at $20 per month (over Rs 1,700), a steep price for a digital service in the Indian market. OpenAI’s chief operating officer, Brad Lightcap, recently described India as the company’s fastest-growing market in a post on X.
Data from Appfigures shows that over 20% of ChatGPT’s Android app downloads in 2025 so far have come from India.
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Ghibli-style boom fuels spike
A surge in engagement followed the viral launch of a new image-generation tool that creates Ghibli-style art. OpenAI said the platform gained one million users in an hour, a moment CEO Sam Altman called one of the “craziest viral moments” he had seen. By comparison, the chatbot took five days to hit one million users in 2022.
India’s AI moment
India is quickly becoming a global leader in artificial intelligence. In a post on X, Altman wrote: “What’s happening with AI adoption in India right now is amazing to watch. We love to see the explosion of creativity—India is outpacing the world.”