Desi farmers using ChatGPT? OpenAI’s first employee in India says…

ChatGPT in India: Rural farmers and frontline workers are emerging as early adopters, with AI tools driving real impact on incomes and access.

OpenAI, the world’s leading generative AI company, is set to deepen its presence in India with announcements expected soon on team expansion and new initiatives.

Pragya Misra, Public Policy and Partnerships Lead at OpenAI said that rural India is emerging as an unexpected driver of AI adoption. (Freepik)

By Aishwarya Panda

Aishwarya Panda is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital Stream with nearly 4 years of experience in tech content writing. She is passionate about writing and exploring her interests in the ever-evolving world of technology. She loves to get her hands on new tech products and gadgets, especially in the space of smartphones.

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“You will see a lot of announcements coming up in the next few weeks where you will see a lot of commitment to India, and we will be expanding our team and doing a lot more here,” said Pragya Misra, Public Policy and Partnerships Lead at OpenAI, during CNN News18’s SheShakti2025 summit on August 21.

Misra has so far been the San Francisco-based company’s sole employee in India, but she confirmed that is about to change. The comments came just a day before OpenAI officially announced its first India office.

With more than 15 million developers, India already hosts the world’s largest developer base, and Misra said the country will play a central role in shaping AI innovation.

According to Misra, the expansion is aimed at developing features for India that can later be rolled out worldwide. She cited ChatGPT Go and Study Mode as examples of tools inspired by Indian users that went global.

She also highlighted affordability and access as key concerns raised by Indian founders and users. To address this, OpenAI recently launched ChatGPT Go in India at Rs. 399 per month, its most affordable plan yet, designed to make advanced AI tools accessible to a wider audience.

Indian farmers as early adopters

In an interview to MoneyControl, Misra also noted that rural India is emerging as an unexpected driver of AI adoption. Farmers are now using OpenAI models to decide which crops to grow, manage pests, select fertilisers and choose the best mandis to sell their produce. Early findings suggest this has led to a 35 percent increase in farmer income, as per Misra.

She added that the multimodal and multilingual nature of OpenAI’s tools has helped lower barriers for women in rural areas. Female farmers, Anganwadi workers and ASHA workers are increasingly using AI to improve productivity and decision-making in their communities.

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