OpenAI is preparing a giant leap in India with plans to build a 1-gigawatt data center, potentially one of the country’s largest, as part of its global Stargate AI infrastructure push. According to Bloomberg report, the company is scouting local partners, and CEO Sam Altman could announce the project during his visit to India this month, though details remain fluid.
The San Francisco-based company has already embarked on a $500 billion Stargate project in the US with SoftBank and Oracle, building 4.5 gigawatts of capacity — an unprecedented scale lauded by President Donald Trump. Globally, OpenAI has revealed plans to anchor a 520-megawatt project in Norway and a 5-gigawatt facility in Abu Dhabi, where it will use 1 gigawatt of computing power.
In India, the timing is significant. The move aligns with the government’s $1.2 billion IndiaAI Mission, aimed at developing large and small language models for the country. An industrial-scale data center will not only boost OpenAI’s ability to offer customized AI chatbots but also ease concerns about data transfers overseas.
The expansion comes as India becomes OpenAI’s second-largest market by users. The company is opening an office in New Delhi, hiring to grow its local team, and rolling out a $5 monthly plan to broaden access. Despite rising trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi, OpenAI is betting big on India as a cornerstone of its global AI strategy.