ChatGPT Go Free in India for 12 Months

In a groundbreaking move that could redefine India’s AI landscape, OpenAI has officially made its ChatGPT Go plan completely free for Indian users. The plan, which previously cost around ₹399 per month, is now available at no cost for an entire year starting November 4, 2025. This strategic rollout positions India as a key growth market for the company — and signals OpenAI’s intent to expand deeper into one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies.

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A Major Win for Indian Users

Until now, ChatGPT Go served as an affordable mid-tier subscription between the free version and the premium “ChatGPT Plus” plan. It offered faster responses, advanced tools, and access to more powerful AI models. However, with this latest update, OpenAI is offering all these premium-grade capabilities free for 12 months to users across India.

Nick Turley, OpenAI’s Vice President and Head of ChatGPT, confirmed the move, saying in a statement to Hindustan Times,

“Ahead of our first DevDay Exchange event in India, we’re making ChatGPT Go freely available for a year to help more people across India easily access and benefit from advanced AI. We’re excited to see the amazing things our users will build, learn, and achieve with these tools.”

The initiative is not just a promotional offer — it’s a clear signal that OpenAI views India as a critical market in its global AI expansion strategy. With millions of students, professionals, and creators already relying on ChatGPT, removing the subscription barrier is expected to spark a massive surge in adoption.

What ChatGPT Go Offers

ChatGPT Go represents the next generation of OpenAI’s conversational AI technology. It brings expanded usage limits, image generation, file upload functionality, and faster processing — all powered by OpenAI’s latest large language model (GPT-5).

Here’s what users can expect with ChatGPT Go:

10x higher message limits than the free tier
10x more image generations per month
10x more file uploads for data analysis and document summaries
2x longer memory for context-aware conversations
Access to GPT-5, the latest and most advanced model available to consumers

The Go plan delivers speedier responses, enhanced reasoning, and higher-quality image outputs. It also retains memory from earlier chats, allowing users to continue conversations seamlessly and enjoy more personalized experiences.

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India: The Second-Largest Market for GPT

OpenAI’s decision to make ChatGPT Go free in India is no coincidence. The country has rapidly emerged as OpenAI’s second-largest market after the United States. Its tech-savvy population, fast-growing startup ecosystem, and booming AI adoption make it a natural testing ground for global innovation.

In fact, when ChatGPT Plus first launched, India witnessed one of the fastest uptakes of paid subscriptions worldwide. The number of premium subscribers doubled within the first month, underscoring the nation’s appetite for advanced AI solutions.

By waiving the subscription fee for a year, OpenAI aims to strengthen user engagement, drive productivity, and help more Indians experience what AI can truly do — from learning and research to business automation and creative innovation.

How to Access ChatGPT Go for Free

Existing ChatGPT Go subscribers in India will be automatically upgraded to the free version for 12 months — no extra steps required.

For new or current free users, accessing the plan is simple:

Visit the ChatGPT website or download the ChatGPT app (available on Android; iOS to follow soon).
Sign up or log in to your OpenAI account.
Select ChatGPT Go under the subscription options.
Add a payment method (credit/debit card or UPI) to activate the promotion.
Your ChatGPT Go subscription will automatically activate and renew monthly at no cost for 12 months.

No promo code is required. The only condition is that users must be physically located in India and must have their accounts in good standing. After the free year ends, OpenAI will begin charging the regular monthly fee unless users cancel beforehand.

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UPI Payment Glitches Frustrate Users

While the offer has been widely celebrated, the rollout hasn’t been entirely smooth. Many users attempting to redeem the free plan using UPI payments reported technical glitches and incomplete transactions — a recurring issue that OpenAI faced earlier this year.

Several users took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their frustration. One wrote:

“Wanted to try ChatGPT Go. Paid via UPI (Autopay activated), but it doesn’t acknowledge. Works literally everywhere else. Is this why Stripe never launches in India?”

Another user added,

“@OpenAI Please fix this bug. UPI payments made, yet it’s simply waiting.”

Many reported that even after approving the Autopay request in their UPI app, they received no further confirmation and couldn’t proceed with activation. In contrast, card payments have been working smoothly, as they use a small token transaction to verify the recurring mandate — which is then refunded automatically.

OpenAI and UPI Partnership: The Road Ahead

OpenAI’s collaboration with India’s UPI ecosystem is relatively new but rapidly evolving. In October 2025, Razorpay, NPCI (the National Payments Corporation of India), and OpenAI announced a pilot project called “Agentic Payments.”

This initiative integrates UPI directly within ChatGPT, allowing users to:

Discover products and services
Compare prices
And make instant UPI payments without leaving the ChatGPT interface.

The “Agentic Payments” pilot reflects OpenAI’s growing commitment to building native Indian integrations — a move that could transform the way users interact with AI for financial, shopping, and service-related needs.

Why a Payment Method Is Still Required

Even though ChatGPT Go is free for 12 months, OpenAI still requires users to add a payment method during sign-up. This step helps:

Verify user identity and region — ensuring the promotion remains India-exclusive.
Enable automatic billing once the free period ends, unless users cancel.

For UPI-based signups, users might temporarily see a ₹1 transaction, which is refunded after authorization. OpenAI clarified that this is standard practice to validate the payment mandate.

How to Redeem the Offer by Platform

On ChatGPT Web:

Go to chat.openai.com.
Sign in or create an account.
Click Try ChatGPT Go or navigate to Settings → Account → Try ChatGPT Go.
Add your payment method (no actual charge will occur).
Once confirmed, the Go plan activates instantly.

On Android (Google Play Store):

Update or download the ChatGPT app.
Tap Upgrade to Go for Free when prompted.
Complete the checkout process with a payment method.
Enjoy free ChatGPT Go access for 12 months.

On iOS (Apple App Store):

The offer will go live next week on iOS.
To get early access, redeem the promotion through ChatGPT Web, then log into the ChatGPT iOS app to start using Go features.

Key Features of ChatGPT Go

The Go plan serves as a bridge between ChatGPT’s free and Plus tiers. Its goal is to give users advanced tools without the steep cost of enterprise or premium models. Core features include:

GPT-5 Access: Faster, smarter, and more contextually aware AI responses.
File Uploads: Analyze documents, spreadsheets, and PDFs.
Image Generation: Create visuals with text prompts.
Extended Memory: Retains chat context for longer sessions.
Priority Access: Reduced wait times during high-demand hours.

However, some features remain exclusive to paid tiers, including:

OpenAI API access
Older models like GPT-4 Turbo and GPT-4o
Sora, OpenAI’s video-generation tool
Manual control of GPT-5’s “Thinking Mode”

OpenAI’s Larger Strategy: Why India, Why Now

India’s AI revolution is unfolding rapidly — and OpenAI clearly wants to be at the center of it. With government-led programs like the IndiaAI Mission pushing for wider AI literacy and innovation, the timing of this rollout couldn’t be better.

The country’s massive student population, thriving tech workforce, and increasing interest in AI-powered productivity tools make it fertile ground for OpenAI’s ecosystem. By making ChatGPT Go free for a year, OpenAI hopes to:

Democratize access to cutting-edge AI,
Encourage experimentation and innovation, and
Cement its position as the most trusted AI companion for India’s creators, professionals, and businesses.

Final Take: A Game-Changer for India’s AI Future

The decision to make ChatGPT Go free for Indian users marks one of OpenAI’s most ambitious expansions since ChatGPT’s global launch. While the UPI glitches are a temporary setback, the offer itself has been widely applauded as a bold step toward democratizing AI in one of the world’s largest and most dynamic markets.

Whether you’re a student looking to boost productivity, a developer testing AI models, or a content creator exploring smarter workflows — ChatGPT Go’s year-long free access promises to open new doors of possibility.

As Nick Turley summed it up: