OpenAI in talks with Reliance to increase ChatGPT presence in India
A new era of AI development is sparked by a cross-continental tech union.
I remember when ChatGPT first launched in late 2022—it felt like the whole world suddenly wanted to talk to AI. Fast-forward to today and the AI landscape has grown even more dynamic.
Now, as the AI race intensifies, OpenAI and Meta are turning their attention to India—a market of 1.4 billion people with surging tech adoption. To unlock this opportunity, OpenAI is reportedly in talks with Reliance Jio - the telecom arm of India’s largest conglomerate, Reliance Industries - to distribute ChatGPT across India.
This partnership could redefine how generative AI reaches one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. But infrastructure is critical. Can Reliance deliver?
The answer lies in the Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate’s ambitious plans to build a 3-gigawatt data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat—potentially the world’s largest. To put that in perspective, most big data centres are measured in megawatts, not gigawatts.
This facility wouldn’t just host OpenAI’s models; it could also accommodate Meta’s models, positioning Reliance as a regional powerhouse. The company is also exploring hosting and running these models locally, addressing data sovereignty concerns that have become increasingly important in the region.
Moreover, Reliance has reportedly discussed the possibility of offering OpenAI's models to its enterprise users via API, which is smart business for both sides. As part of the collaboration, OpenAI is also considering making its service more affordable by slashing the price of the $20 ChatGPT model by up to 85%.
That being said, OpenAI’s push into India comes amid relentless competition. Since its 2022 launch, the company has navigated a competitive environment from Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, and others. Recent innovations like GPT-4.5—a model praised for its human-like intuition and reduced hallucination—alongside the O3 Mini reasoning model and Deep Search AI agent highlight OpenAI’s commitment to staying ahead.
Yet rivals are closing the gap. Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash and DeepSeek’s cost-effective AI solutions are gaining traction. Meanwhile, Meta’s Llama models and potential partnership with Reliance underscore the intensifying global race.
Oyinebiladou Omemu
