Sam Altman to visit India in mid-February as global AI heavyweights converge on New Delhi

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to visit India in mid-February, marking his first trip to the country in nearly a year, according to people familiar with the matter.

The visit coincides with the India AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled to be held in New Delhi between February 16 and 20, a marquee global AI event expected to draw top executives from Nvidia, Google, Meta and Anthropic, alongside senior Indian policymakers and business leaders.

Altman is not currently listed as a confirmed speaker at the summit. However, sources said he is expected to be in New Delhi during the summit window and will participate in a series of closed-door meetings on the sidelines.

OpenAI is also planning to host an invitation-only event in New Delhi on February 19, bringing together venture capitalists and senior industry executives, one person familiar with the matter said. The visit has not been publicly announced and plans could still change.

A packed AI week for India

The summit week is emerging as a focal point for global AI engagement with India. Anthropic is hosting a developers’ day in Bengaluru on February 16, while Nvidia is expected to hold a private event in New Delhi during the same week. Several other U.S. technology companies are planning side events, underscoring India’s growing importance as a market for enterprise AI adoption, developers and startups.

Altman last visited India in February 2025. He had previously indicated plans to return later that year following OpenAI’s announcement of a New Delhi office, but that trip did not take place.

India’s rising strategic importance

Altman’s visit comes as India has emerged as a key growth market for U.S. AI companies. Google and Microsoft have announced multi-billion-dollar investments to expand AI and cloud infrastructure in the country, while Anthropic recently opened a Bengaluru office. OpenAI has been hiring in India across enterprise sales, technical deployment and legal roles, with openings in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

India is now ChatGPT’s largest market by downloads and second-largest by users globally. However, monetisation remains a challenge. OpenAI introduced a lower-priced “ChatGPT Go” plan under $5 in India last year and offered it free for a year to drive adoption.

Sources said Altman is expected to meet senior government officials, startup founders and technology executives during the visit, as OpenAI looks to deepen enterprise adoption while continuing to scale as a mass-market product in India.