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OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is setting its sights on India with plans to build one of the country’s largest artificial intelligence data centres. The proposed facility would have a capacity of at least one gigawatt, placing it among the most ambitious technology projects in a market where Microsoft, Google, and Reliance have already staked out vast digital infrastructure. According to Bloomberg, OpenAI is in preliminary discussions with potential Indian partners, though neither the site nor the timeline has been finalised. Chief Executive Sam Altman, expected in India later this month, may reveal more details during his visit.
This expansion underscores India’s rising significance for OpenAI. The company is opening an office in New Delhi, expanding its team, and has already introduced a $5 monthly ChatGPT plan to make its services more accessible. A domestic data centre would not only speed up AI services for local users but also address concerns about sensitive data flowing overseas, a key issue for regulators.
Globally, OpenAI is engaged in a sweeping infrastructure effort it calls Stargate—a network of AI data centres projected to rival the largest computing hubs in existence. In the US, it has partnered with SoftBank and Oracle, already committing over 4.5 gigawatts of capacity. Major projects are also underway in Norway and Abu Dhabi, the latter sparking debates in Washington over chip exports. India, by contrast, enjoys a clear path, with the Trump administration confirming that export restrictions on AI chips will not apply.
This initiative dovetails with India’s $1.2 billion IndiaAI Mission, which seeks to develop indigenous large language models and strengthen AI capacity. It also aligns with OpenAI’s “for Countries” programme, a US-backed effort to build AI infrastructure that reflects democratic values and provides a counterweight to China’s influence. For India, the arrival of such a data centre would be more than a technical upgrade, it would be a statement of strategic importance in the global AI race.
**This news was published on India Today on 2nd September, 2025.
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