New Delhi: OpenAI has identified India as one of the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence markets in coding, data analysis, and complex reasoning, according to its latest Capability Gap findings.
The report places India among the top five countries globally in “thinking capability usage per person,” measured through reasoning tokens used by ChatGPT Plus users. This indicates a growing base of advanced users engaging with AI for complex problem-solving tasks.
Strong growth in AI ecosystem
India has also emerged as one of the fastest-growing AI builder ecosystems globally. OpenAI reported a sharp surge in adoption of its coding-focused tool, Codex, with user numbers increasing fourfold within just two weeks of its launch in February 2026.
The findings highlight India’s strong performance in both coding and data analysis, reflecting a rising trend of developers and professionals integrating AI into their workflows.
Urban centres dominate usage
The report notes that AI usage in India is heavily concentrated in urban regions. Delhi NCR leads in terms of ChatGPT users, while the top 10 cities collectively account for nearly 50% of the country’s AI user base.
Other major hubs include Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Delhi, which continue to drive innovation and adoption.
Expanding applications across sectors
Beyond coding, AI adoption in India is expanding into sectors such as education and healthcare. The report found higher engagement levels in regions like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala, indicating broader geographic uptake beyond traditional tech hubs.
Access gap remains a concern
Despite the rapid growth, the report highlights a significant gap in access to AI technologies across regions. Usage remains largely concentrated in a few urban centres, creating disparities in adoption.
Compared to countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, and Germany, AI usage in India is nearly three times more concentrated geographically.
Advanced usage gap even wider
The disparity becomes more pronounced in advanced AI usage. Leading cities rely up to 30 times more on AI for data analysis compared to smaller cities. Similarly, coding usage is four times higher, while the number of AI developers is nine times greater in top urban centres.
Oliver Jay, Managing Director (International) at OpenAI, emphasised the need to bridge this divide. He noted that expanding access, improving skills, and enabling meaningful use of AI will be critical for inclusive growth.
Conclusion
India’s rise as a leading AI market reflects its strong developer ecosystem and rapidly adopting population. However, addressing regional disparities in access and usage will be key to unlocking the full potential of AI across the country.