Sam Altman plans a visit to India as AI leaders meet for an important summit focused on technology and growth opportunities.
New Delhi: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning his first visit to India in almost a year. He will come in mid-February just as New Delhi prepares for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. This big event will take place from February 16 to 20 and will feature many important tech leaders, including the CEOs of Google, Meta, and Anthropic.
The summit is a chance for leaders to connect. They will meet key Indian business people too, like Mukesh Ambani, who is the chairman of Reliance Industries. Although Altman is not officially confirmed to attend, sources say he will likely join closed-door meetings around the summit. OpenAI will also hold an event on February 19 for venture capitalists and industry leaders, a key part of Altman’s visit.
No official announcement has been made about Altman’s trip, and things could still change. Other U.S. companies like Anthropic plan to hold special events too. For example, Anthropic will have a developers’ day in Bengaluru on February 16, while Nvidia will host an evening gathering in New Delhi. These events show how global AI firms are eager to reach Indian businesses and tech startups.
The upcoming trip marks Altman’s return to India since his visit in February 2025. He had originally planned to visit again later that year after opening an office in New Delhi, but that didn’t happen. Recently, Indian markets have become very important for U.S. AI companies. In the past months, Anthropic established an office in Bengaluru, and Google formed partnerships to offer premium AI services.
OpenAI has been growing its presence in India, hiring for different roles focused on AI. India is now the biggest market for ChatGPT, with many downloads and users. However, OpenAI has faced challenges getting people to pay for its services. They recently introduced a lower-cost plan to attract more users.
During his visit, Altman will meet many tech executives, startup founders, and government officials. The goal is to grow the use of ChatGPT in businesses while also reaching everyday users. OpenAI is looking at India for possible infrastructure growth as well, as other companies have made big investments in the country.
Despite some challenges, like high energy costs and uneven resources for building data centers, the Indian government hopes the summit will bring in up to $100 billion in investment. They want local startups to create tailored solutions, reducing dependence on American systems.
This trip for Altman may set the stage for new opportunities in India’s growing AI market.