Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL), publisher of The Times of India and The Economic Times, has entered a content partnership with OpenAI this week. The deal allows ChatGPT to display excerpts and summaries of BCCL’s journalism with attribution and links to the original articles. The agreement covers BCCL’s English and Indian-language publications, including live news coverage, according to medianama.com.
Under the partnership, when a ChatGPT user queries a topic covered by BCCL, the chatbot may provide a summary or excerpt from BCCL’s reporting, crediting the publication and linking to the full article on BCCL’s website. The deal includes both breaking news and archival content. The companies are also exploring how OpenAI’s technology can support BCCL’s internal operations such as archive search, research support, data analysis, translation, and reader-facing products. Financial terms and timelines remain undisclosed.
This collaboration reflects a growing trend of Indian publishers partnering with AI firms to expand content reach and enhance digital capabilities. Comparable global deals, such as those between OpenAI and the Associated Press, have enabled publishers to extend their audience through AI platforms while maintaining attribution. BCCL’s inclusion of Indian-language publications highlights the importance of regional content in the digital news ecosystem.
Neither BCCL nor OpenAI has disclosed financial details, including licensing fees or revenue-sharing structures. The partnership was announced this week, marking a notable step in integrating AI-driven content distribution within Indian media.