OpenAI has launched a new paid subscription plan for ChatGPT in India called ChatGPT Go, aiming to make its AI assistant more affordable and accessible to the country’s massive user base.
The new plan is priced at ₹399 per month (around $4.60), a sharp drop from the ₹1,999 ($23) monthly cost of the existing ChatGPT Plus tier. By comparison, the Plus plan has been priced higher than the standard $20 in India after local currency conversion. The Go plan now fills that gap, offering a cheaper entry point for millions of Indian users who want advanced features without paying premium rates.
The plan will allow payments through UPI, India’s widely used digital payments system, making it easier for users across the country to subscribe. OpenAI said ChatGPT Go will give subscribers up to 10 times more access compared to the free tier – covering chat messages, image generation, and file uploads. It will also include improved memory, meaning ChatGPT can better remember user preferences for more personalized responses.
“Making ChatGPT more affordable has been a key ask from users,” said Nick Turley, OpenAI’s VP and head of ChatGPT. “We’re rolling out Go in India first and will learn from feedback before expanding to other countries.”
The choice to launch in India first is not surprising. The country has emerged as a key growth market for OpenAI, both in terms of usage and app downloads. India is already the company’s second-largest market, according to CEO Sam Altman. AppFigures data shows over 29 million downloads of the ChatGPT app in India in just the last 90 days, though revenue was relatively low at $3.6 million during that period.
OpenAI clearly sees an opportunity to improve its conversion rate from free users to paying subscribers. Last month, Turley revealed that ChatGPT had surpassed 700 million weekly active users worldwide, up from 500 million in March. With India accounting for a significant chunk of new downloads but little revenue, the Go plan is designed to bridge that gap by appealing to price-sensitive users.
Competition in India’s AI space is also heating up. Perplexity partnered with telecom giant Airtel last month to offer free Pro subscriptions, while Google launched a free one-year AI Pro plan for students in India. OpenAI is not giving away free plans but is betting that its lower price point, paired with localized payment options, will be enough to boost subscriptions.
The company has already been experimenting with image generation and file-processing features within ChatGPT, which have seen strong traction in India. With Go, OpenAI is doubling down on its strategy to tap into the country’s 850 million internet users – the largest base of potential AI consumers outside China.
If successful, ChatGPT Go could become a template for regional pricing models worldwide, making AI tools more accessible in markets where affordability has been the biggest barrier.
