Sam Altman just pulled an Ambani on India with AI

What if I told you Sam Altman just took a leaf out of Mukesh Ambani’s playbook? Jio changed India with cheap internet. Now experts are calling this India’s Jio moment in AI. And it’s happening with ChatGPT and Perplexity.

Cheapest ChatGPT plan
Let’s start with OpenAI, who just launched ChatGPT Go in India at ₹399 a month. That’s the cheapest ChatGPT plan anywhere in the world. Compared to the free version, it gives you 10 times more chats, 10 times more image generations, access to GPT-5, and UPI payments to keep it desi. The launch fits right into Sam Altman’s vision for India. He recently said, “India is our second-largest market in the world after the US, and it may well become our largest market.”

Perplexity Pro free for Airtel customers
Now, ChatGPT isn’t alone in this race to capture a bigger share of Indian AI market. Just weeks ago, Perplexity made a power move with Airtel. All 360 million Airtel customers now get Perplexity Pro free for a year. That’s AI goodies worth ₹17,000.Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas said, “Our goal is to bring the benefits of cutting edge AI in the hands of millions of people to help them with day-to-day information and tasks.”

India: Fastest growing AI-user base
But why India? It's simple. We’re the fastest-growing AI users in the world. In the second quarter of 2025, Perplexity’s downloads in India surged 600% year-over-year to 2.8 million. In the same time frame, ChatGPT downloads grew almost seven times. Also, our diversity makes us the perfect testing ground for global AI rollouts.

DOWNLOADS IN INDIA
In Millions
Source: Sensor Tower, Tech Crunch


AI in India: The flip side
But here’s the flip side: Despite the fast adaptation of AI tools, only one in five young Indians is AI-skilled.



ONLY 1 IN 5 YOUNG INDIANS IS AI-SKILLED
Source: Google & ADB

This at a time when 90% of Indian leaders say the people they hire will need new skills to prepare them for the growth of AI. That’s a massive opportunity gap. And it’s your turn to capitalise on it.

How to get AI-ready?
So, how do you actually get AI-ready? Short term: get hands-on. Use the professional tools from Perplexity Pro or ChatGPT Go for assignments, research, coding help, side hustles, or even building a smarter CV.

If you’re a young professional, think bigger. AI can scan markets, optimise campaigns, draft policy notes, or cut hours off grunt work like reports and decks. In short, work smarter, not harder. AI can also be your personal tutor. It can teach you to code, prep for interviews, or master design. The more comfortable you get with it now, the stronger your edge later.

Long term, don’t just use AI, combine it with your domain expertise. A lawyer who automates case research, a doctor who uses AI for diagnostics, a designer who creates with AI, that’s where the jobs and startups of the future are.

The era of lifelong learners
And remember, graduation isn’t the finish line anymore. In the AI era, winners are lifelong learners who keep evolving with the tools. Or as Perplexity’s CEO Aravind Srinivas puts it: people losing jobs to AI will either start companies with AI… or work for those who do.

The bottom line is, India has the numbers, the energy, and now the access. The only question is will you, the young Indian, use it to shape your future?