OpenAI just put ads in ChatGPT... and India gets them first

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

OpenAI to Show Ads in ChatGPT for Free and Go Users in India

OpenAI announced Thursday that Free and Go users in India will start seeing ads inside ChatGPT.

The company updated its terms earlier this month, but few noticed. For India, the move makes sense — the country has 100M weekly users and most are on the free plan. That’s a massive audience for advertisers.

How it will work

OpenAI is starting small with just 50 brands to begin with. The company has partnered with major ad agencies WPP and Omnicom to roll this out.

Next month, the ad platform will open to anyone. The entry price: ₹725 per day.

The pitch from OpenAI: “Show up when people are making decisions.” That means if you ask “best phone under 20k”, don’t be surprised to see Samsung or other brands pop up in the results.

OpenAI’s India push

This is part of a bigger India strategy. OpenAI has already launched a ₹29 plan, ran ads during IPL, and hired Uber India’s former head to lead operations.

Ads in ChatGPT are not new globally. The US and Europe have had them since February.

The company is also gearing up for an IPO. It reported $6.7B in revenue last quarter — a big number, but Wall Street pressure for growth continues.

Free things, it seems, aren’t free forever.

Attribution
This report is based on information from TechCrunch. It has been rewritten and contextualized by the WJHnow editorial team.

OpenAI on What Just Happened NOW

OpenAI just put ads in ChatGPT... and India gets them first

OpenAI to Show Ads in ChatGPT for Free and Go Users in India

How it will work

OpenAI’s India push