ChatGPT Ads Roll Out in India: Who Will See Them, How They Work and What OpenAI Says

Millions of ChatGPT users in India will start seeing ads inside their conversations with the popular AI chatbot for the first time, as OpenAI expands its recently launched advertising programme to one of its largest markets. OpenAI on Thursday, August 27, said that ChatGPT Ads will be rolled out to all users above 18 using the Free and Go tiers, while users on ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education paid plans will not see any ads.

How Ads Will Appear In ChatGPT

Similar to the US and European markets, ads in ChatGPT will be labelled as sponsored and will show up below an AI-generated response when there is a relevant sponsored product or service. OpenAI has clarified that ads within ChatGPT will not affect its responses, and that ads will not be shown alongside sensitive or regulated topics, including mental health and politics. The company said the move gives Indian businesses new ways to reach people while they are exploring options, comparing choices, or working toward a decision, adding that advertising revenue helps support continued investment in free and affordable access to its AI tools. ChatGPT Ads: OpenAI To Begin Testing Advertisements in Its AI Chatbot Amid Rising Competition From Anthropic AI.

OpenAI Partners With WPP And Omnicom

OpenAI said it has partnered with ad agencies WPP and Omnicom to begin showing ads from over 50 brands to ChatGPT users in India this week, adding that the partnership is non-exclusive and that it plans to work with other agencies going forward. For businesses looking to advertise on ChatGPT, OpenAI said its self-serve ads manager will become available from September 4, 2026, with daily ad budgets starting at INR 725. OpenAI to Introduce Advertisements to ChatGPT Free and Go Tiers in the United States.

Dave Dugan, Vice President and Head of Global Ads Solutions at OpenAI, said the company's goal is to make ad interactions useful while preserving what makes ChatGPT valuable, including independent answers, conversations that stay private from advertisers, and meaningful user control.

Privacy Rules Around ChatGPT Ads

OpenAI has said it will not sell user data or expose conversations with ChatGPT to advertisers, and that advertisers will not be able to see information about a user's age, location, or interests. Advertisers will, however, receive aggregate campaign-performance data such as impressions and clicks. Users will also be able to dismiss ads, provide feedback, and understand why a particular ad was shown, while personalisation and ad-related data can be turned off or cleared at any time.

Part Of A Wider Industry Trend

Ads in ChatGPT were first introduced as a testing pilot in the US in February 2026. Microsoft Copilot and Google's AI Overviews also feature ads, reflecting how advertising remains an attractive revenue model even in the AI era. Anthropic, the maker of Claude, has said its chatbot will remain free of ads. India, which has over 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, was also one of the first markets to get ChatGPT Go, OpenAI's INR 399 per month subscription plan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 27, 2026 01:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).