OpenAI has announced that it will give five lakhs free ChatGPT Plus accounts in India. This is going to be a significant event as this marks one of its biggest education-focused initiatives so far. Through this move, Indian teachers and students will gain further access to the AI platform over the next six months working with government bodies and schools.
Distribution Channels of OpenAI
There will be three main channels used for this distribution experiment. Teachers of Classes 1 through 12 in government schools will have their access arranged by the Ministry of Education. AICTE will collaborate with technical colleges around the nation to support faculty and students in developing their research and digital skills. K–12 educators will also have access to ARISE member schools. This will allow them to experiment with AI tools in their regular classroom instruction.
This extensive endeavor is part of the OpenAI Learning Accelerator program, which was introduced in India before other markets. The company stated that rather than being merely a shortcut for fast answers or assignments, the objective is to make AI a tool that promotes deeper understanding of subjects.
Collaborating with Raghav Gupta
As part of the announcement, OpenAI has also brought in a dedicated leader for its education push in this endeavor. Raghav Gupta has joined the company as Head of Education for India and APAC. He earlier headed Coursera’s operations in India and Asia Pacific, now his role will involve building collaborative partnerships with schools, universities and government organisations. Other than that, he'll figure out practical ways for teachers to use AI in classrooms.
According to the India Today report, speaking on the initiative, Gupta said that education in India is at a stage where AI can make a real difference. According to him, “the idea is not just to provide technology but to work with teachers and institutions to improve learning outcomes and prepare students for a future where AI will be a core skill.”
Other collaborations with OpenAI
OpenAI is also supporting domestic research. It has partnered with IIT Madras to conduct a long-term study on the application of AI in education, with funding totaling $500,000. The study will investigate how educational tools such as ChatGPT can transform instruction and eventually help students. In keeping with its global plans, the company has also confirmed that it will open its first office in India, in New Delhi, later this year. Millions of students use ChatGPT in India for project work, homework, and test preparation, making it the largest student market in the world.To make the ChatGPT platform more accessible, OpenAI has launched a subscription tier priced at Rs 399 per month with UPI payment support for the Indian region. It partnered with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to run the OpenAI Academy, an AI literacy programme designed to familiarize students and teachers with emerging technologies.
