OpenAI expands in India with 100-megawatt data center plan and new offices, Altman says

OpenAI has launched a new India initiative that puts real infrastructure behind its growth push in one of the world’s fastest-growing AI markets. The company said on February 18, 2026, that it is working with Tata Group on local AI-ready data center capacity, starting with 100 megawatts and with a path to scale to 1 gigawatt over time, while also planning new offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru later this year.

OpenAI and Tata start with 100 megawatts of local capacity

The centerpiece of the announcement is a data center partnership designed around data residency, security, and lower latency for Indian users and customers. OpenAI said it will be the first customer of Tata Consultancy Services’ HyperVault business, with the initial 100-megawatt buildout aimed at supporting its most advanced models inside India.

That matters because it shifts the company’s India presence from a mostly product-led footprint toward a local operating base that can support enterprise and government workloads. It also suggests OpenAI is treating India not just as a user market, but as a place where model serving, compliance, and infrastructure capacity will increasingly need to be localized.

Enterprise rollouts give the plan commercial weight

OpenAI said Tata Group plans to deploy ChatGPT Enterprise across its employees over the next several years, beginning with hundreds of thousands of workers at Tata Consultancy Services. The company also said TCS intends to use OpenAI’s Codex to standardize AI-native software development across teams.

Those commitments turn the announcement into more than a branding exercise. Large enterprise deployments create recurring usage, internal workflow integration, and a reference point for other corporate customers in the region, especially as Indian companies move from pilots to broader AI adoption.

Education and local offices extend the footprint

Alongside the infrastructure and enterprise pieces, OpenAI said it will expand OpenAI Certifications in India, with TCS becoming the first participating organization outside the United States. The company also announced education partnerships that will provide more than 100,000 ChatGPT Edu licenses across institutions including IIM Ahmedabad, AIIMS New Delhi, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, and Pearl Academy.

OpenAI said it also plans to open new offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru later in 2026, adding to its existing presence in New Delhi. Sam Altman said India is already leading in AI adoption and is well placed to help shape how democratic AI is adopted at scale, framing the initiative as a long-term buildout rather than a short-term market entry.