According to OpenAI’s latest report, India has emerged as a powerful leader in the global artificial intelligence (AI) market. India is among the world’s top five countries in using AI tools for coding, data analysis, and solving complex problems. Usage of the Codex app, launched in February 2026, surged by 400% in India in just 14 days.
Citing its recent report on India, OpenAI stated that the country is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets for artificial intelligence (AI). The report indicates that India shows significant leadership—particularly in the fields of coding, data analysis, and complex reasoning—and exhibits a high rate of AI adoption in its key metropolitan areas compared to other nations. Furthermore, OpenAI notes that India ranks among the top five countries globally in terms of per capita use of AI for cognitive tasks. Users in India are regularly employing AI tools to solve complex problems.
Following the launch of OpenAI’s Codex app (an AI coding tool) in February 2026, its user base in India quadrupled in just two weeks. India also holds a strong global ranking in the use of coding and data analysis tools. However, OpenAI pointed out that this capability is not evenly distributed; AI use in India remains largely concentrated in a limited number of cities. India’s top 10 cities account for approximately 50 percent of the country’s total AI user base.
Collectively, these cities represent less than 10 percent of the national population, making India’s AI adoption rate nearly three times more geographically concentrated than comparable nations like the US, UK, Brazil, and Germany.
Where This Inequality Grows
This inequality becomes more pronounced in advanced use cases: the use of data analysis is 30 times greater in leading cities; coding use is four times greater; and the use of AI developer tools (Codex) shows a ninefold difference. It was stated that despite India having competitive AI capabilities, the greatest benefits are concentrated in only a few urban centers—including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Chennai.
Where Is Usage Highest?
These findings regarding the capability gap highlight the fact that, beyond the top cities, some of the most meaningful use cases are emerging in fields like education and healthcare—demonstrating how AI is being used in everyday contexts. In the field of education and learning, strong engagement is being seen, particularly in eastern states.
One example is where 22 percent of all messages are related to education and learning—approximately 20 percent higher than the national average. Similar trends are evident in Odisha, Manipur, Tripura, and Chhattisgarh. In the health and wellness sector, high levels of engagement are being observed in regions like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala.
In Jammu and Kashmir, nearly one in ten messages is health-related—approximately 32 percent higher than the national average. According to the report, the next phase of India’s AI journey will depend on how widely this capability spreads through the democratization of technology (in terms of language, affordability, and infrastructure).
What Was Said?
It was stated that the main question now is how quickly the benefits of AI can move beyond early adopters and leading cities to reach the broader population. It was emphasized that bridging this gap will require expanding access, developing skills, and enabling ease of use across the entire country. These efforts will largely be shaped by India’s young and rapidly innovating population.