After labelling India “Hopeless,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman now sees it as a future AI leader, “This is the most exciting time in tech

As artificial intelligence reshapes industries worldwide, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman remarked that India could play a pivotal role in the next phase of the technology revolution.

Sam Altman says India is emerging as key market for AI innovation and adoption

With one of the world’s largest developer bases and a rapidly digitising economy, India is emerging as a key market for AI innovation and adoption.

Altman has described the current technological moment as “the most exciting time in tech,” pointing to the rapid evolution of generative AI tools that are already transforming coding, customer service, content creation, and research.

Interestingly, the latest remark comes only a few years after he had described India as being “hopeless” at developing advanced AI systems.

In India, where startups and enterprises alike are integrating AI into financial services, healthcare, agriculture and education, the implications are especially significant.

“The cost of intelligence should trend toward zero,” Altman has said about India’s access to technology, which has historically unlocked massive scale. 

Just as low-cost data and smartphones accelerated India’s digital economy, AI tools could empower millions of small businesses, students and entrepreneurs with capabilities once limited to large corporations.

India’s thriving startup ecosystem and government-led digital public infrastructure provide fertile ground for this expansion.

From vernacular AI assistants to productivity tools tailored for small enterprises, developers are building solutions aimed at India’s diverse linguistic and economic landscape.

At the same time, Altman has stressed the importance of responsible innovation. “We’re not building AGI to win a race,” he has said, underlining that safety and alignment must remain central as AI systems grow more powerful.

For India, a nation balancing rapid tech adoption with regulatory oversight, this approach aligns with ongoing discussions around data governance and digital safeguards.

“AI will be the most powerful tool ever created,” Altman has argued, framing it not as a replacement for human capability but as an amplifier.

In India’s context, that amplification could mean accelerated research, improved public services, and new pathways for economic growth.

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