NEW DELHI: Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday met OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to discuss India’s strategy for developing a comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem.
Following the meeting, Vaishnaw posted on X: “Had super cool discussion with Sam Altman on our strategy of creating the entire AI stack – GPUs, model, and apps. Willing to collaborate with India on all three.”
During the discussion, Vaishnaw emphasised India’s ability to develop cost-effective AI models, drawing comparisons to the country’s low-cost space missions. “Our country sent mission to the mood at a fraction of the cost, that many other countries dis right? why cant we do a model which will be a fraction of the cost, that many other countries do. So yes Innovation will bring in that cost down within application in healthcare and education.in agriculture, in weather forecasting, in disaster management, transport multiple different things we are working on,” he said.
He also encouraged the startup community to contribute innovative AI solutions and announced plans for an open competition. “I request the entire startup community to come up with unique solutions and will be open. We’re soon starting a kind of open competition for it, open empanelment, competition type of thing so that would be huge, so many problems can be solved, why dont use this latest technology that we have or solving these problems right? You guys are good about that,” Vaishnaw added.

OpenAI chief ‘willing to collaborate’ with India

Vaishnaw stated that Altman was open to working with India in its efforts to build cost-effective AI solutions. Speaking in New Delhi, the minister highlighted India’s goal of creating an entire AI ecosystem, including GPUs, models, and applications.
Altman, in a closed-door meeting with Indian tech developers, reaffirmed India’s growing significance for OpenAI. “India is an incredibly important market for AI in general and for OpenAI in particular,” he said, as per the Press Trust of India. “I think India should be one of the leaders of the AI revolution.”
He also acknowledged India’s rapid adoption of AI technologies: “It’s really quite amazing to see what the country has done, in embracing the technology and building the entire stack of things on top of it.”
OpenAI, which launched ChatGPT in 2022, has been at the forefront of the AI revolution. Altman noted that India is now OpenAI’s second-largest market, with users tripling over the past year.
Vaishnaw underscored India’s success in executing cost-effective technological projects, citing the country’s 2023 moon mission. “Our country sent a mission to the Moon at a fraction of the cost that other countries did,” he said. “Why can’t we do a (AI) model that will be a fraction of the cost?”
Altman responded positively to Vaishnaw’s vision, saying, “I’m really excited to do a lot more together.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to co-host an artificial intelligence summit in France from February 10-11, where Altman is expected to attend.
Altman’s visit to India comes as part of his wider Asia tour. On Tuesday, OpenAI signed a deal with South Korean tech giant Kakao, amid rising competition from Chinese AI firm DeepSeek.