OpenAI launches ads in ChatGPT for some users in India
OpenAI has launched ads in ChatGPT for free users and subscribers to the low-cost Go plan in India, one of the service’s largest and most active markets. The Go plan costs 399 Indian rupees, or about $4 per month, CNBC reports.
Terms for displaying ads
The company said that advertising is intended to support broader access to ChatGPT through free and lower-cost plans. Ads will be clearly labeled, visually separated from chatbot responses, and placed below them. OpenAI also stressed that the independence of ChatGPT’s responses is not subject to compromise.
The company does not show ads to users who have stated that they are under 18, or whom its algorithm predicts to be under 18. According to OpenAI, the advertising feature is already operating in 38 countries, including the United States, Japan, South Korea, and 31 European countries.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Monetizing the audience
According to CNBC, OpenAI plans to go public in 2027 and is seeking to increase revenue ahead of its initial public offering. The outlet notes that the company is under pressure to justify its $852 billion valuation, while some of its key metrics lag behind competitor Anthropic, which is also preparing to enter the public market.
Analysys Mason partner Ujjwal Chaudhri considers the advertising model the most effective way to monetize a large base of individual users. According to him, unlike Anthropic, which receives a larger share of its revenue from corporate clients, OpenAI is more popular among consumers. He added that online advertising accounts for more than 75% of global advertising spending totaling $1.18 trillion, while the in-app advertising market is estimated at $400 billion.
Next stage
In India, OpenAI has already launched managed advertising and plans to introduce a self-service ad placement tool on September 4, 2026. This format allows advertisers to use the platform directly to participate in bidding for ad impressions.
