Sam Altman’s India Visit: What’s in Store Amid OpenAI Vs DeepSeek Rivalry?

After signing a deal with South Korean tech giant Kakao, OpenAI chief Sam Altman turns his attention to India as he is all set to meet top venture capital investors and even a few government officials on February 5th. Altman’s visit also comes at an opportune time for India. 

A few days ago, Union Minister of Electronics & IT, Railways, and I&B, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw called for the development of indigenous development AI models in a significant step towards India’s AI future. Even during the Budget presentation, Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman sanctioned a whopping Rs.2000 crore for the IndiaAI mission for 2025-26. 

Altman’s trip to India is part of his worldwide tour that includes South Korea, UAE, Germany, and France. With the rising threat of China’s low-cost AI model DeepSeek, Sam is rushing to gain the support of as many nations as possible for OpenAI.

Sam’s mission already found success in South Korea as he inked a deal with Kakao, the country’s leading online bank. The deal allows Kakao to use ChatGPT for its new artificial intelligence services. 

After becoming a part of Donald Trump’s aspiring $500 Billion AI project “Stargate”, Sam Altman’s Open AI found itself in a soup from China’s DeepSeek. With its high performance and supposedly low cost, the China-owned AI has sent Silicon Valley into a frenzy.

OpenAI, however, has lodged deep accusations against DeepSeek, alleging that the Chinese startup had illegally used its models to develop a compelling product. 

Despite the criticism, DeepSeek managed to garner intense attention for their efficient product and even Altman in a recent interview revealed that he has no clear strategy yet to counter DeepSeek. 

While it remains to be seen which government officials Sam Altman will meet, it's evident that his ideas to grow AI will surely benefit India in the long run.