Prompts on Billboards Instead of Pitches
Mumbai’s Juhu residents were among the first to spot OpenAI’s striking minimalist billboards. Instead of technical jargon, the ads carried simple ChatGPT prompts like “Create a meal plan that hits 100g of protein per day and a grocery list under ₹100 a week.” Another asked, “Can you help me stay consistent about tracking my budget?” These prompts served as reminders of how AI can be seamlessly integrated into everyday life.
The campaign has quickly expanded to Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Jaipur, underlining OpenAI’s growing focus on India. Unlike most tech ads that lean on features, this campaign flips the approach by showing how conversations with ChatGPT directly solve real world problems.
India Becomes a Priority Market
India has emerged as OpenAI’s largest market outside the United States, with nearly half of its user base here under the age of 24. Many of them use ChatGPT primarily for study support, exam prep and productivity. Recognising this potential, OpenAI has doubled down on India with initiatives such as the Learning Accelerator program.
Announced in August 2025, the initiative aims to bring advanced AI tools to classrooms by partnering with the Ministry of Education, IIT Madras, AICTE and networks of K–12 schools. Over 500,000 ChatGPT licences will be distributed to educators and students, making India the first country to receive such a large scale rollout.
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Affordable AI for the Masses
To strengthen its local presence, OpenAI has also launched ChatGPT Go, an India-only subscription plan priced at ₹399 per month. The plan offers higher message limits, more image generations, expanded memory and greater file uploads, making premium AI accessible to a wider audience. Subscriptions are priced in rupees and can be purchased using UPI, reflecting OpenAI’s push for affordability and localisation.
Nick Turley, Vice President of ChatGPT, noted that making the tool affordable was one of the top requests from Indian users. India has therefore become the first testing ground before the plan expands globally.
Competing in a Crowded AI Market
The timing of the campaign comes as the global AI race intensifies. ChatGPT crossed 52 million downloads by mid 2025, but competition is heating up with Google’s Gemini leading the charts after its viral Nano Banana feature. Elon Musk’s Grok and Perplexity AI are also vying for attention.
In India though, ChatGPT enjoys a strong first mover advantage. For many, ChatGPT has become synonymous with artificial intelligence itself, much like Google became the default term for internet search.
AI on Streets and Screens
The decision to take the fight to billboards and bus stands signals OpenAI’s confidence in India as a long term market. With a generative AI market already worth $1.3 billion in 2024 and expected to grow to $5.4 billion by 2033, the company is betting big on visibility and trust.
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By placing prompts in public spaces, OpenAI is not just advertising a product, it is reshaping how Indians imagine AI in their daily lives, from planning diets to tracking expenses and managing studies.
The Road Ahead
As more Indian consumers warm up to AI, campaigns like these help break down barriers of complexity and cost. With the combination of affordability, localisation and relatable marketing, ChatGPT is well positioned to deepen its hold in one of the fastest growing technology markets in the world.
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