OpenAI has begun displaying advertisements in ChatGPT across India. Ads are now available to authorized users on the Free and Go plans, while paid subscriptions such as Plus and Pro remain ad-free.
It is expected that more than 50 different brands will start placing ads on the platform this week. WPP and Omnicom have been named among the first agency partners.
Starting September 4th, businesses will gain access to the ChatGPT advertising manager, allowing them to manage campaigns independently, with daily budgets starting from 725 rupees, potentially making the platform accessible not only to large brands but also to small advertisers.
An OpenAI representative told TOI that the company forecasts increased interest from early advertisers in the travel, financial services, retail, and health and beauty sectors. He noted that India's unique advantage lies in the combination of large enterprises, a developed agency ecosystem, and a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises that can utilize self-service tools.
OpenAI positions advertising in ChatGPT differently from traditional search advertising. The company asserts that relevance will be determined by the immediate intent expressed during the dialogue, rather than keyword bids or long-term advertising profiles.
According to the company statement, if a user query demonstrates commercial interest, a separate advertising system determines whether to display a suitable and relevant advertisement. Such an ad will be shown separately, below the organic ChatGPT response, and will be clearly marked. OpenAI emphasized that advertisers will not gain access to users' conversation texts or personal data; instead, they will be provided with standard campaign metrics, including impressions, clicks, click-through rate, conversions, and return on investment.
Furthermore, OpenAI plans to implement support for action-based buying models, conversion tools, and integration with independent measurement partners.