OpenAI to provide 5 lakh free ChatGPT licences to Indian students and teachers

OpenAI has unveiled an ‘India-first’ Learning Accelerator programme, marking one of its most significant commitments to the country’s education sector. Announced on Monday, the initiative includes the distribution of 500,000 free ChatGPT licences to students and teachers, alongside a research grant of ₹4.5 crore (around $500,000) to IIT-Madras.

The initiative is being rolled out in collaboration with IIT-Madras, the Ministry of Education, and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). A key component of the programme is a research partnership with IIT-Madras to examine how AI tools influence teaching practices, learning outcomes and cognitive development. Findings from the study will be made public to guide both education policy and future product design.

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Over the next six months, half a million premium ChatGPT licences will be distributed free of charge. Teachers will gain access to advanced tools for lesson planning and classroom engagement, while students will benefit from features such as “Study Mode” and interactive quizzes. OpenAI emphasised that ChatGPT is optimised for basic smartphones and supports 11 Indian languages, a move aimed at narrowing the country’s digital divide.

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Leah Belsky, OpenAI’s vice-president of education, said the initiative represented one of the company’s largest education investments in India. “This is critical to our mission of ensuring AI benefits humanity,” she noted.

The announcements come as OpenAI prepares to open its first India office in New Delhi later this year. The company has also launched an India-specific subscription plan priced at ₹399 per month, with UPI payment integration, and partnered with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to establish the OpenAI Academy, an AI literacy programme.