OpenAI Plans for Expansion in India with Major 1 GW Data Centre

OpenAI is exploring partnerships to set up a large-scale data centre in India with a capacity of at least 1 gigawatt, according to Bloomberg. The facility will be part of the company’s AI infrastructure push and could support localised services. 

Details on the location and commissioning timeline have not been disclosed. CEO Sam Altman is expected to announce updates during his visit to India in September.

Stargate Project Links

The India plan is connected to Stargate, a private AI infrastructure initiative launched earlier this year. Stargate is backed by OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle, with projected investments of up to $500 billion. The group is already working on around 4.5 gigawatts of capacity in the U.S., with additional projects in Norway and the UAE. The India data centre would be the first of its scale in Asia under this initiative.

Expanding Local Presence

OpenAI has formally registered as a legal entity in India and is assembling a local team. Its first office in the country will open in New Delhi later this year. India is already OpenAI’s second-largest user market, and the company has begun local hiring, with multiple roles listed on its careers portal. In August, 2025, it also introduced a ₹399/month ChatGPT Go subscription plan aimed at Indian users.

Read more: Low-Cost ChatGPT Plan in India: OpenAI Launches ₹399 ‘ChatGPT Go’ Plan!

Education Programme Rollout

The company has launched the OpenAI Learning Accelerator, offering 500,000 free ChatGPT licences for 6 months to students and educators in India. The initiative covers Classes 1-12 schools, engineering and technical institutes, and K-12 teachers. Distribution will take place in partnership with the Ministry of Education, AICTE, and ARISE-affiliated schools. OpenAI has said the programme is intended to provide access and training in AI tools.

India’s Growing Role

India has seen ChatGPT usage expand rapidly, with user growth reported at 4x in the past year. OpenAI’s combined push, through infrastructure, subscriptions, and education, shows the country’s importance in its global strategy, even as specifics of the new data centre remain pending.

Conclusion 

OpenAI’s initiatives in India span data infrastructure, education access, and user expansion. The scale and schedule of the planned data centre are yet to be finalised.

Disclaimer: This blog has been written exclusively for educational purposes. The securities mentioned are only examples and not recommendations. This does not constitute a personal recommendation/investment advice. It does not aim to influence any individual or entity to make investment decisions. Recipients should conduct their own research and assessments to form an independent opinion about investment decisions. 

Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.