OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Ads in India to Boost Revenue

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Ads in India, targeting logged-in adult users on the Free and Go subscription tiers. Sponsored content will appear at the bottom of responses, visually separate from the AI's answers. The company asserts that answer independence is non-negotiable and that advertisers will not influence the AI's responses. Paid subscriptions, including Plus and Pro, will remain ad-free.

More than 50 brands are expected to go live this week through partnerships with agencies WPP and Omnicom. Starting September 4, OpenAI will provide self-serve access to the ChatGPT Ads Manager for businesses with daily budgets starting at Rs 725. The company expects high interest from the retail, travel, financial services, and health and beauty sectors, basing ad relevance on immediate user intent rather than keyword bidding.

This rollout is part of a broader revenue diversification strategy as OpenAI prepares for a potential initial public offering in 2027, facing pressure to justify an $852 billion valuation. The company reported Q2 2026 revenue of $6.7 billion but saw operating losses increase to $12.3 billion. Ads are already active in 38 countries, including the United States, Japan, Korea, and 31 European nations. This monetization path contrasts with rival Anthropic, which has pledged to keep its Claude chatbot ad-free.