Delhi vs Bengaluru: OpenAI’s India office location triggers online debate

OpenAI has announced plans to open its first office in India, choosing New Delhi as the location. The move has sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many users questioning why the company did not opt for Bengaluru, considered India’s technology hub.

Delhi vs Bengaluru debate

As noted by Hindustan Times, one user wrote, “Biggest developer community... I am surprised you decided to open in Delhi instead of Bangalore.” Another commented that it sounded suspicious, “Wrong location, should’ve been Bengaluru,” while a third remarked, “Extremely sus, all tech talent is in Bengaluru.”

Others suggested the decision was more about proximity to the government. Some users, however, welcomed the announcement.

Company announcement

OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman confirmed the expansion on social media platform X, writing, “We are opening our first office in India later this year! and I'm looking forward to visiting next month. Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption in India has been amazing to watch; ChatGPT users grew 4x in the past year, and we are excited to invest much more in India!”

Hiring begins

The Wall Street Journal reported that the company has already started hiring for its India office. Recently, OpenAI also introduced ChatGPT Go in India, a new subscription tier priced at Rs 399 per month, offering more features than the free version.