ChatGPT usage in India doubles over the past year, OpenAI's Vijaye Raji confirms ahead of DevDay India

ChatGPT usage in India doubled over the past year, and OpenAI's Vijaye Raji says India is now one of the company's largest developer markets, with coding token usage up about 17-fold since February.

#What happened

OpenAI Chief Technology Officer for Applications Vijaye Raji told media ahead of DevDay India in Bengaluru that ChatGPT usage in India doubled over the past year. India is among OpenAI's largest developer markets, with adoption spanning education, coding, communication and enterprise applications. Coding token usage in India grew about 17-fold since February, Raji said. Teams are using the tools beyond software development, including in finance and legal work, and he reported huge adoption of Codex among startups and large companies. The company is pushing an audio-first India strategy. OpenAI is rolling out GPT-Live-1.1 with improved multilingual handling and 13 new voices across seven languages, including two Hindi voices, Neer and Leher. "India is an audio-first market," Raji said. Pricing is part of the push. ChatGPT Go, the Rs 399 per month low-cost plan, launched in India in August 2025 before rolling out to other markets and going global in January 2026. Raji said ads launched in India and the company plans to invest in the country again. OpenAI has offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi, and deploys forward-deployed engineering teams in India to help large enterprises integrate its models.

#Why it matters

India's mobile-first, multilingual market is actively shaping OpenAI's product priorities, from mixed-language voice handling to a Rs 399 tier that became the playbook for emerging markets. The 17x coding growth and Codex adoption signal where developer demand is heading next.

#Verified

Verified October 15, 2026 against The Hindu BusinessLine article fetched the same day.