OpenAI Academy Set to Launch in India Under MoU with IndiaAI Mission

In a landmark move to strengthen AI education and innovation in India, OpenAI has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian government’s IndiaAI Mission to launch the OpenAI Academy—marking its first international rollout.

As part of this collaboration, OpenAI and IndiaAI will jointly deliver curated artificial intelligence (AI) training content via the OpenAI Academy and the IndiaAI FutureSkills portal. These offerings will be accessible to a wide audience, including public sector professionals, in multiple languages—English, Hindi, and four regional languages—ensuring inclusivity in skill-building.

Jason Kwon, Chief Strategy Officer at OpenAI, emphasized India’s key role in the global AI landscape, stating, “With the second-largest number of ChatGPT users, India ranks among the top countries actively building AI technologies.”

Speaking at the launch event, Abhishek Singh, CEO of IndiaAI Mission, identified one of India’s critical hurdles in AI development: access to computing power. “This has been addressed by providing around 34,000 GPUs at affordable rates—less than a dollar per GPU hour—significantly lower than global prices,” he said.

In addition to computational resources, Singh also spotlighted the AI Kosh platform, which offers a rich repository of datasets across sectors, along with essential tools, AI models, and a sandbox environment to encourage innovation.

Through a virtual message, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw described the initiative as a milestone for the country. “This partnership is a significant step towards advancing our shared goal of democratizing access to knowledge and technology,” he said.

This launch follows Kwon’s global tour to engage with international policymakers on responsible AI deployment and governance. The academy initiative in India is aligned with OpenAI’s broader commitment to make AI education globally accessible and responsible.

In a move reflecting its growing investment in the Indian market, OpenAI last month introduced local data residency for Indian users. This ensures that data from ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, and the OpenAI API platform will now be stored within the country, addressing key regulatory and privacy concerns.

Further expanding its impact, OpenAI also announced the extension of its AI for Impact Accelerator Program to India. As part of this phase, 11 nonprofit organizations in the country have been selected to receive API credits and technical grants totaling $150,000. This initiative is backed by philanthropic partners including The Agency Fund, Tech4Dev, and Turn.io.

These selected nonprofits will gain access to hands-on technical mentorship, cohort-based learning programs, and early access to OpenAI tools—empowering them to develop AI-driven solutions for social challenges.

By combining educational outreach, infrastructure support, and social impact investment, OpenAI’s partnership with IndiaAI is poised to significantly boost India’s AI capabilities, while also ensuring that AI development remains inclusive, ethical, and transformative.