OpenAI bets big on India with 1 GW data centre plan, builds local presence

From ChatGPT licences to data hubs: OpenAI doubles down on India with plans for a new data centre and an expanded local team, as part of its Stargate AI infrastructure push in Asia

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is exploring local partners to set up a data centre in India. It aims to have a capacity of at least 1 gigawatt, Reuters reported citing Bloomberg News. 

Backed by Microsoft, OpenAI has registered as a legal entity in India and started building a local team. The company said in August that it plans to open its first office in New Delhi later this year, expanding its presence in its second-largest user market. 

The new data centre could be a significant move for OpenAI’s Stargate-branded AI infrastructure in Asia, Bloomberg mentioned. However, the exact location and timeline for the India project remain unclear. CEO Sam Altman may reveal details during his visit to India in September. 

Stargate, a private sector AI infrastructure initiative, was announced by US President Donald Trump in January. The project is backed by SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle, with investments of up to $500 billion.  ALSO READ | Why Sam Altman should make ChatGPT less entrancing, and less of a confidant

500,000 free ChatGPT licences

Last week, OpenAI announced a major initiative to provide 500,000 free ChatGPT licences for six months to students and teachers in India. The programme will cover government schools from Classes 1 to 12, engineering and technical institutes, as well as K-12 educators. 

“We believe AI (artificial intelligence) has the potential to transform education for students. AI can be a personal lifelong tutor and learning agent. For educators, AI can free up time for them to focus more on the core part of teaching,” said Leah Belsky, vice-president of Education at OpenAI, during a media briefing. 

 

  The initiative, called the OpenAI Learning Accelerator, is an India-first programme. Belsky emphasised that OpenAI is not trying to make money from these free licences. “The focus for now is access and training,” she said. 

Belsky said, “So, the broader hope is that we can enable a community of 500,000 users with a focus on educators to learn how they are using ChatGPT and then replicate those learnings. That is really the focus,” responding to a question from Business Standard. 

The ChatGPT licences will be distributed in India in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and schools affiliated with the Association for Reinventing School Education (ARISE).