OpenAI Expands AI for Impact Initiative to India

By siliconindia  |  Tuesday, 03 June 2025, 14:45 IST

OpenAI Expands AI for Impact Initiative to India
  • OpenAI launches next phase of 'AI for Impact Accelerator' in India, awarding $150K in API credits to 11 nonprofits
  • Indian NGOs using AI for healthcare, education, agriculture & inclusion under OpenAI Academy’s support ecosystem
  • Initiative aligns with India AI Mission, promoting scalable, empathetic, and impactful tech solutions for real-world challenges

OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, on Tuesday announced the latest phase of its international 'AI for Impact Accelerator Programme' in India, marking a year of backing mission-oriented organizations that are employing artificial intelligence to address real-world social issues.

Under this program, 11 nonprofits will be awarded fresh API credits, taking the aggregate worth of technical grants under this program to $150,000.

OpenAI API credits are a prepaid payment system, meaning rather than being billed on a monthly basis via credit card, the users can buy credits upfront and spend them as required. This initiative is now part of the larger 'OpenAI Academy', which seeks to make AI more accessible, beneficial, and rooted in addressing real problems.

Over the past year, Indian nonprofits supported through the programme have developed and deployed AI tools in critical sectors like healthcare, education, agriculture, disability inclusion, and gender equity making a visible impact in underserved communities, according to the company.

The programme is delivered in partnership with The Agency Fund, Tech4Dev, and Turn.io. It includes hands-on technical guidance, shared learning within a cohort, and early access to OpenAI’s tools. It also reflects OpenAI’s broader commitment to ensuring that AI benefits everyone, especially those in regions with fewer resources.

As part of its support, OpenAI also hosted a workshop in India to showcase the capabilities of its latest AI models, helping these organisations design large-scale solutions.

The project aligns well with the 'India AI Mission', which seeks to democratise access to AI, build a robust ecosystem, and create tech solutions that cater to India's specific social and economic requirements.The Indian cohort consists of institutions working on big-ticket challenges with the assistance of AI.

Pragya Misra, Policy and Partnerships Lead for OpenAI India, lauded the Indian cohort for applying AI in reflective and meaningful ways. She stated the organizations represent the values of the India AI Mission and demonstrate how cutting-edge technology could be employed with empathy and imagination to fix difficult challenges.

OpenAI is going to continue expanding this initiative even further in India, with fresh organizations set to add themselves to the programme sometime later this year.

As it extends its reach, OpenAI is transitioning from merely granting access to creating genuine, in-the-field impact backing applied, scalable, and human-friendly AI solutions.

 

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