OpenAI launches ChatGPT Ads in India, over 50 brands to go live this week

OpenAI announced on Thursday that ChatGPT users in India will start seeing advertisements on the chatbot as it rolls out its advertising programme in the country, giving brands a new way to reach consumers while they are actively researching and comparing products.

According to a statement from the company, the ads will initially be shown to logged-in adults using ChatGPT’s Free and Go plans. Users on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education plans will continue to get an ad-free experience.

OpenAI added that more than 50 brands are expected to start advertising on ChatGPT in India this week. WPP and Omnicom will be the company's first agency partners in the country, although the model is non-exclusive.


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For users, the ads will appear below a ChatGPT response when there is a relevant sponsored product or service. They will be clearly marked as sponsored and visually separated from the chatbot's answer.

Importantly, OpenAI said the ads will not influence ChatGPT's answers. Advertisers will not get access to users' conversations, chat history, memories or personal details. They will instead receive aggregated campaign data such as impressions and clicks.

Users will also be able to dismiss advertisements, provide feedback, see why an ad was shown, manage ad personalisation and clear data used for advertising.

OpenAI said advertisements will not be shown on accounts belonging to people who identify themselves, or are predicted, to be under 18.

Ads will also not be eligible to appear alongside sensitive or regulated topics, including mental health and politics. The company said it will continue to apply policies aimed at limiting scams, misleading claims and other harmful advertising.

OpenAI will open self-serve access to its ChatGPT Ads Manager in India on September 4, allowing businesses to create campaigns themselves. Daily budgets will start at ₹725, potentially making the platform accessible to smaller businesses as well.

The move comes as ChatGPT usage in India continues to grow. OpenAI said its weekly active users in the country have doubled year-on-year, with people increasingly using the chatbot to explore options, compare products and weigh decisions.

“India is one of the most dynamic markets in the world for how people use ChatGPT to learn, build, and discover,” said Dave Dugan, vice president and head of global ads solutions at OpenAI.

The company said its advertising strategy is aimed at funding broader access to AI through free and lower-cost plans, while keeping advertising separate from ChatGPT's responses and user conversations.