Sam Altman Says India Has What It Takes to Become a Global AI Leader

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described India as having all the potential to become an AI leader. He praised India's technical talent, national strategy, and positive attitude towards AI. Altman emphasized India's AI mission and the rapidly growing adoption of AI tools, which include 100 million weekly active users. He called AI education, infrastructure, and security a priority.

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:03 AM (IST)
Sam Altman Says India Has What It Takes to Become a Global AI Leader
Sam Altman Says India Has What It Takes to Become a Global AI Leader

The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, claimed that India has all the capabilities to emerge as an AI leader and that the nation's strength includes its technological talent, national strategy, and positive attitude towards the potential of AI.

Altman, who had arrived in Delhi to attend the Global AI Impact Summit, described India as the world’s largest democracy and stated in an article that India is leading the way in the deployment of AI at scale with indigenous technology capabilities and government initiatives.

Citing the Indian government's AI mission, he said it aims to expand computing capacity, support startups, and rapidly implement multilingual AI applications in healthcare, agriculture, and public services, making AI an essential tool for millions of people.

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He also praised the rapid adoption of AI tools in India, noting that the country now has 100 million weekly active users, the second-highest in the world after the United States. He noted that India has the highest number of students using ChatGPT globally.

Altman also ranks fourth in the number of users of OpenAI's free research and collaboration tool, Prism. "OpenAI is committed to developing AI with and for India. The company has made its tools available for free to increase access to as many people as possible," Altman said.

He identified three priorities: expanding AI education, building computing and energy infrastructure, and integrating AI into everyday tasks. He said, "Infrastructure determines the future." Emphasizing safety, Altman said, "AI will only succeed if people trust it. If AI use is not safe and reliable, its benefits will be limited."

He added, "We will soon announce new partnerships with the Indian government to expand the reach and benefits of AI to more people in the country. AI will shape India's future, and India will define the future of AI. And only a democracy can do this."

Focus on access, use, and capacity is essential. Altman said, "To maximize the benefits of AI, it is essential to focus on access, use, and capacity. Access means ensuring that people and institutions can fully leverage AI. Use means implementing AI effectively in schools, workplaces, and public services, and capacity means giving people the ability and confidence to use AI effectively, enabling them to learn quickly."

He warned that if access to and use of AI is unequal, its benefits will also be unequal. If not handled properly, productivity and economic benefits may be limited to only a few sectors.

Muskan Kumawat Muskan Kumawat is a Journalist & Content Writer at Sangri Times English, covering a wide range of topics, including news, entertainment, and trending stories. With a strong passion for storytelling and in-depth reporting, she delivers engaging and informative content to readers.