ChatGPT Plus and Pro Plans Get Expensive in India: New Prices Announced
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OpenAI has quietly increased the subscription cost of its ChatGPT Plus and Pro plans in India, making access to its premium AI services pricier than before. While the company has finally switched to billing in Indian Rupees instead of US Dollars, customers will now end up paying more every month.
Earlier, Indian users had to pay $20 for ChatGPT Plus (about ₹1,750) and $200 for ChatGPT Pro (around ₹17,500). With the new India-specific pricing, these plans now cost ₹1,999 and ₹19,900 per month. The revision translates into a 14% price hike. The increase is not limited to individual users-those opting for OpenAI’s Team and Business plans will also feel the pinch.
The shift does simplify the subscription process by removing currency conversion hassles, but it also highlights a long-standing concern in India: affordability. When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visited the country last year, many startup founders and developers had pointed out that high subscription costs were discouraging wider adoption. At the time, reports suggested that OpenAI was working on a cheaper “Go Plan,” expected to launch with GPT-5. However, the budget-friendly option is yet to see the light of day.
Meanwhile, competitors are seizing the opportunity to expand their presence in India with more accessible offers. Perplexity AI has partnered with Airtel to give its users one year of free Pro access. Google, on the other hand, is bundling premium Gemini AI services with added benefits like extra cloud storage and YouTube Premium, making its ecosystem more appealing to students and professionals alike.
Despite the rising competition, ChatGPT continues to dominate the global AI market. Data from app intelligence firm Appfigures shows that the platform has generated over $2 billion in consumer spending worldwide since its launch in May 2023. In 2025 alone, the ChatGPT mobile app earned $1.35 billion, recording a massive 673% surge from the previous year. This translates to nearly $193 million per month, more than 30 times the combined lifetime spending of rival AI chatbots such as Claude, Copilot, and Grok.
Earlier, Indian users had to pay $20 for ChatGPT Plus (about ₹1,750) and $200 for ChatGPT Pro (around ₹17,500). With the new India-specific pricing, these plans now cost ₹1,999 and ₹19,900 per month. The revision translates into a 14% price hike. The increase is not limited to individual users-those opting for OpenAI’s Team and Business plans will also feel the pinch.
The shift does simplify the subscription process by removing currency conversion hassles, but it also highlights a long-standing concern in India: affordability. When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visited the country last year, many startup founders and developers had pointed out that high subscription costs were discouraging wider adoption. At the time, reports suggested that OpenAI was working on a cheaper “Go Plan,” expected to launch with GPT-5. However, the budget-friendly option is yet to see the light of day.
Meanwhile, competitors are seizing the opportunity to expand their presence in India with more accessible offers. Perplexity AI has partnered with Airtel to give its users one year of free Pro access. Google, on the other hand, is bundling premium Gemini AI services with added benefits like extra cloud storage and YouTube Premium, making its ecosystem more appealing to students and professionals alike.
Despite the rising competition, ChatGPT continues to dominate the global AI market. Data from app intelligence firm Appfigures shows that the platform has generated over $2 billion in consumer spending worldwide since its launch in May 2023. In 2025 alone, the ChatGPT mobile app earned $1.35 billion, recording a massive 673% surge from the previous year. This translates to nearly $193 million per month, more than 30 times the combined lifetime spending of rival AI chatbots such as Claude, Copilot, and Grok.
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