A few months back, OpenAI, the AI research and deployment firm that owns ChatGPT, was said to be in talks with Reliance Industries regarding possible collaborations to enhance their AI services in the nation.

One of the options being considered involved a collaboration between Reliance Jio and OpenAI to distribute ChatGPT. Although no formal announcement about this partnership has been made, OpenAI is now setting its sights on its own Jio-like opportunity—the potential of tapping into the one-billion internet consumer market with affordable offerings.

OpenAI has entered the lower segment of the AI market by introducing a new, budget-friendly subscription plan in India called ChatGPT Go, which is priced at Rs 399 per month. The announcement was shared by Nick Turley, OpenAI’s vice president and head of ChatGPT, on X (formerly Twitter): “We have just launched ChatGPT Go in India, a subscription tier that provides users access to our most sought-after features: 10 times higher message limits, 10 times more image generations, 10 times more file uploads, and twice the memory compared to our free tier. All for Rs. 399.”

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This new tier is significantly cheaper than OpenAI’s other existing plans. The highest-level version of ChatGPT, ChatGPT Pro, is available at Rs 19,900/month in India, while the mid-tier ChatGPT Plus costs Rs 1,999/month.

In its strategy to appeal to the mass market, OpenAI is utilizing a mass market-friendly tool. Users in India will now see subscription prices listed in rupees and can pay through UPI (Unified Payment Interface), a move likely designed to enhance accessibility for everyday users.

India ranks as ChatGPT's second-largest market after the US and could potentially become the largest soon. However, in terms of installation numbers, India leads the way, comprising 13.7 percent of lifetime downloads, compared to the United States in second place.

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OpenAI's approach to tailor its services for mainstream users coincides with a time when numerous competitors, particularly Gemini and Perplexity, are targeting India’s expansive consumer market where more and more people are opting for AI chatbots over conventional internet search engines.

OpenAI aims to replicate Reliance's low-cost strategy in India's telecommunications sector, amassing millions of users and keeping them engaged with more affordable plans. Nonetheless, OpenAI is anticipated to encounter fierce competition from its adversaries.