Delhi-NCR Leads ChatGPT Adoption in India, Top 10 Cities Account for 50% Users: OpenAI Study

Why It Matters

The concentration of AI usage in a few urban centers highlights both a lucrative market for AI‑driven services and a significant untapped demand in India’s broader population, shaping future investment and policy priorities.

Key Takeaways

• Delhi‑NCR hosts the largest share of Indian ChatGPT users.
• Top 10 cities contain 50% of all ChatGPT users in India.
• AI adoption three times more city‑centric in India than the US.
• Codex usage rose 4× in two weeks after its February 2026 launch.
• Assam leads with 22% of ChatGPT messages focused on education.

Pulse Analysis

OpenAI’s latest capability‑gap report shows that half of India’s ChatGPT users are clustered in just ten metropolitan areas, with Delhi‑NCR emerging as the clear leader. Although India ranks among the world’s most active AI markets, its usage pattern is three times more concentrated than in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil or Germany. This urban skew reflects the country’s uneven digital infrastructure, higher broadband penetration, and a concentration of knowledge‑intensive jobs in a handful of cities. For businesses, the data signals both a lucrative urban audience and a sizable untapped rural market.

The study also highlights how Indian power users are pushing the frontier of AI capabilities. Reasoning‑token consumption places India in the top five nations for step‑by‑step problem solving, while Codex, OpenAI’s code‑generation assistant, experienced a four‑fold surge within two weeks of its February 2026 launch. Yet the growth is uneven: regions such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi and Chennai dominate advanced usage, whereas eastern states like Assam and Odisha show the highest proportion of education‑related queries, and Jammu & Kashmir leads in health‑care interactions. These pockets of specialized demand illustrate divergent pathways for AI adoption across the subcontinent.

To bridge the capability gap, OpenAI is leveraging local partnerships. Collaborations with TCS aim to scale AI‑native software development, while a fintech tie‑up with Razorpay enables developers to monetize Codex‑powered products directly. Academic alliances promote ChatGPT Edu in universities, and regional training events target developers in under‑served areas. If these initiatives succeed, they could democratize access to high‑value AI tools, expand the talent pipeline, and stimulate a broader ecosystem of Indian AI startups. For investors and policymakers, the rollout offers a measurable route to translate the country’s youthful, tech‑savvy population into sustained economic gains.