ChatGPT Images 2.0: India emerges as largest market

India has emerged as the biggest market for ChatGPT Images 2.0 following the launch of OpenAI’s upgraded image-generation feature last week. While the rollout has sparked strong engagement in India and several emerging markets, global growth for ChatGPT overall has remained relatively moderate, according to third-party analytics reviewed by TechCrunch.

ChatGPT Images 2.0 is designed to generate more detailed visuals from complex prompts, with improved handling of multilingual text and enhanced image refinement capabilities. Early usage trends indicate that Indian users are increasingly turning to the feature for personal and creative expression, including stylised portraits, fantasy-themed visuals, avatars, cinematic collages, and social media-ready imagery.

Data from Sensor Tower estimates that ChatGPT recorded nearly 5 million downloads in India during the launch week, compared with around 2 million downloads in the US. However, week-on-week growth in India remained relatively modest. Similarweb data showed daily active users in India increased by about 3.4% during the same period.

Globally, the response to the rollout has been more measured. Sensor Tower reported that ChatGPT app downloads rose 11% week-over-week after the launch, while daily active users and sessions increased by only around 1%. Similarweb also recorded a limited rise in global web traffic, which increased by approximately 1.6%.

Despite the moderate global trend, several emerging markets experienced sharper spikes in adoption. Countries including Pakistan, Vietnam, and Indonesia saw ChatGPT app downloads surge by as much as 79% week-over-week during the rollout period.

OpenAI’s latest release arrives amid growing competition in AI-powered image generation. The company has introduced improvements such as better rendering of Hindi and Bengali text and enhanced “thinking” capabilities that enable the system to refine outputs and generate multiple image variations from a single prompt.