“We want to build with India, for India”: OpenAI’s Pragya Misra on AI’s expanding role in storytelling, business and innovation

Artificial intelligence is no longer the future— it's rapidly becoming the engine powering the next wave of creativity, productivity, and innovation. At the forefront of this movement is OpenAI, and its India story is only just beginning.

Speaking exclusively to Storyboard18 at the WAVES 2025, Pragya Misra, Public Policy and Partnerships Lead, OpenAI in India, and a first hire for OpenAI in the country shared the company's vision and ambition for one of its most dynamic markets.

“India is now OpenAI’s second largest and fastest growing market with active users more than tripling over the past year,” Misra revealed. “We are very, very invested and very, very committed to what’s happening in India.”

From content creation to MSME adoption, OpenAI sees India's diversity and scale as a massive opportunity— one it’s keen to approach through meaningful collaboration, local contextualisation, and powerful storytelling tools like Sora.

“Our tools are really going to democratise how storytelling happens in India and around the world,” she said, noting a strong uptake in the use of storyboarding tools and multilingual capabilities. “Many people are waiting to tell their stories but haven’t had the tools. Our tools will empower them to actually write and tell the stories the way they would like to.”

"Our ambition is to be able to collaborate and work with everyone in India because we want to build with India and for India... and for the world."

With text-to-video model Sora and other AI tools, OpenAI aims to not only enable new forms of artistic expression but also make them relevant and authentic to India. “There is always this feeling that if you go to an AI model and ask something India-specific, it gives you global images,” Misra acknowledged. “We’ve made a conscious effort to ensure our tools serve the contextual needs of Indians far better.”

This intent to "build with India, for India" also extends to the business and startup ecosystem. With ChatGPT Enterprise and APIs, OpenAI aims to make its AI stack accessible to everyone, from top enterprises to grassroots entrepreneurs.

“I think MSMEs are really where a very large part of the India opportunity is,” said Misra. “We want to do much more in taking the MSME sector along with us in our AI journey,” she added.

The company is also seeing traction in software engineering, with companies coding more efficiently using OpenAI models. “That’s really bringing in a lot of productivity and efficiency,” she said. “I’m sure you’ve heard Sam (Altman) talk about how the world is not far from a single founder running a billion-dollar company.”

India, Misra believes, is uniquely positioned for that leap, given its entrepreneurial spirit and policy support. “We are fundamentally a very entrepreneurial society. With Startup India and the government’s focus on job creators, AI can really help the next generation achieve their aspirations.”

On the creative front, Misra recalled how the Ghibli art trend exploded in India, from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to Bollywood actors and even government accounts.

“It really showed us that we have a lot to learn about India and what sticks,” she said. “People came in for something fun, like a Ghibli image, but stayed to explore what ChatGPT can actually do.”

Earlier in February, Sam Altman highlighted India's growing importance in the global AI landscape.

Altman on X posted that the pace at which India was integrating AI into various industries made it stand out on a global level. He wrote, "What's happening with AI adoption in India right now is amazing to watch. We love to see the explosion of creativity--India is outpacing the world."

"India is a very important market for AI. It is our second biggest market. Models are still not cheap, but they are doable. India should be a leader there of course," he said.