Jakarta, INTI - OpenAI is broadening its presence in India by entering the country’s higher-education sector through collaborations with leading academic institutions. This expansion aligns with India’s ambition to strengthen AI capabilities and build domestic expertise within one of the world’s largest talent pools.
On Wednesday, OpenAI announced partnerships with six public and private higher-education institutions across India, including prominent engineering, management, medical, and design institutes. The initiative is expected to impact more than 100,000 students, faculty members, and staff within the next year.
Instead of concentrating on consumer-facing applications, the program focuses on embedding AI into fundamental academic activities. This approach reflects OpenAI’s intention to shape how artificial intelligence is taught, regulated, and integrated within one of the largest higher-education ecosystems globally.
OpenAI has already cultivated a substantial user base in India through its ChatGPT platform, which reportedly has over 100 million monthly active users in the country, according to CEO Sam Altman. India has become OpenAI’s second-largest market after the United States. The announcement also comes as major AI companies intensify their engagement in India, which is hosting an AI Impact Summit in New Delhi this week.
Partnerships with Leading Institutions and EdTech Platforms
The first group of partner institutions includes some of India’s most prominent academic bodies, such as the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi, alongside private universities and specialized design schools. OpenAI stated that these partnerships will cover disciplines ranging from engineering and business management to healthcare and creative sectors.
India has increasingly become a testing ground for AI adoption in education. Recently, Google reported that India records the highest global usage of its Gemini learning tools. Similarly, Microsoft announced plans to expand its Elevate skilling initiative in India to train educators across schools, vocational centers, and higher-education institutions, in collaboration with government agencies.
OpenAI indicated that the partnerships will provide campus-wide access to its ChatGPT Edu tools, faculty development programs, and frameworks for responsible AI use. The goal is to integrate AI directly into core academic workflows, including coding, research, analytics, and case studies, rather than offering isolated tool access.
Two participating institutions, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, will introduce certifications supported by OpenAI. Additionally, the company plans to collaborate with Indian ed-tech platforms such as Physics Wallah, upGrad, and HCL GUVI to expand AI education beyond university campuses. These platforms will launch structured programs covering AI fundamentals and practical ChatGPT applications for students and early-career professionals.
Raghav Gupta, head of education at OpenAI India, said educational institutions were a “critical route” to closing the gap between rapidly advancing AI tools and how people are actually using them, as skills demands shift across the economy.
Last year, OpenAI appointed Gupta, formerly Coursera’s Asia-Pacific managing director, as its India and Asia-Pacific head of education, coinciding with the rollout of a Learning Accelerator initiative aimed at expanding AI skills development.
The wave of educational initiatives highlights how AI firms are extending their focus beyond consumer products and enterprise clients to institutions that shape long-term skills and adoption patterns. For countries like India, the challenge goes beyond access to AI technologies, it also involves determining who influences how AI is structured, governed, and scaled within the education system.
Conclusion
OpenAI’s expansion into India’s higher-education system signals a strategic shift from consumer-focused growth toward long-term institutional influence. As AI becomes central to economic competitiveness, the race is no longer just about user adoption, but about shaping how future generations learn, govern, and apply artificial intelligence at scale.
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