OpenAI Brings ChatGPT Ads to India With 50 Brands, ₹725 Daily Floor
OpenAI will bring ads to ChatGPT Free and Go in India, starting with 50 brands, before launching an ad manager with a ₹725 daily floor next month.
Summary
OpenAI said on August 27, 2026, that ads are coming to ChatGPT Free and Go in India after it changed its terms earlier in August. India had more than 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users in February, many using those tiers. The initial program, detailed August 26, includes 50 brands and agency partners WPP and Omnicom. An ad manager launches in September with a ₹725, or $7.60, minimum daily campaign budget. Dave Dugan, OpenAI’s head of global ads solutions, said businesses can reach users as purchasing decisions form.
OpenAI launched the sub-$5 ChatGPT Go plan in August 2025, temporarily offered it free for one year, advertised during the Women’s Premier League and Indian Premier League, and recently hired Uber’s India head to lead expansion. ChatGPT ads started in the U.S. in February and expanded to Europe earlier in August. Ahead of a potential IPO in 2026 or 2027, OpenAI is broadening revenue after recording $6.7 billion in the quarter ended June 2026, up from $5.7 billion in the previous quarter. It had 35 million Plus and Pro subscribers last November and is targeting 220 million paying subscribers by 2030.
Positives
- More than 100 million weekly ChatGPT users in India give OpenAI a large market for its new advertising business.
- OpenAI will begin with 50 brands supported by major agency groups WPP and Omnicom.
- The September ad manager will let marketers create campaigns with a ₹725, or $7.60, minimum daily budget.
- Quarterly revenue reached $6.7 billion in June 2026, rising from $5.7 billion in the previous quarter.
- The sub-$5 ChatGPT Go plan and limited free-year promotion expanded access in India before advertising began.
Risks & concerns
- ChatGPT Free and Go users in India will encounter advertising after OpenAI changed its terms earlier in August.
- OpenAI’s advertising program now spans the U.S., Europe and India, extending commercialization across lower-cost ChatGPT access.
- OpenAI must grow from 35 million Plus and Pro subscribers last November to its target of 220 million paying users by 2030.
- A potential IPO in 2026 or 2027 increases the importance of proving that advertising can become a durable revenue source.