OpenAI has started showing advertisements on ChatGPT’s free and Go subscription tiers in India, marking a new monetization strategy for the AI platform. The rollout began this month and targets logged-in adult users, while Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education subscribers will continue to enjoy an ad-free experience, according to inc42.com.
The initial ad campaigns involve partnerships with major agencies WPP and Omnicom, with over 50 brands expected to launch ads on the platform within a week. From September 4, businesses will gain access to ChatGPT’s self-serve ads manager, allowing daily budgets starting at ₹725. This rollout follows OpenAI’s six-month testing period of ads in the US, aiming to add a revenue stream alongside subscriptions and enterprise deals, inc42.com reported.
This move comes as India approaches its festive shopping season, a critical period for advertisers. A Redseer report cited by inc42.com highlights that AI-native advertising formats can achieve conversion rates up to four times higher than traditional search ads, as conversational AI platforms combine purchase intent with personalized recommendations. Redseer projects conversational AI assistants will capture about 8% of digital ad spending by 2030, largely at the expense of search and static display ads.
OpenAI stated that ads will appear below ChatGPT responses only when relevant sponsored products or services are available, aiming to maintain user trust while expanding monetization. The company’s ad rollout in India represents a strategic step in broadening revenue channels for ChatGPT beyond subscriptions and enterprise partnerships, according to techcrunch.com.