OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, Chris Lehane, told Business Standard that including India in global AI governance conversations is essential to democratising artificial intelligence so that its benefits reach as many people as possible. Lehane made the remarks on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, noting that India’s large user base — including more than 100 million regular users and 30 million students — makes the country a vital part of shaping how AI is adopted and regulated worldwide.
Lehane said India’s scale, language diversity, and growing digital adoption give it a unique opportunity to influence AI frameworks that promote inclusion and fairness. He highlighted that OpenAI’s coding tool Codex has seen significant growth in India, with usage increasing sharply following a recent update — a sign of demand for tools that help users learn and create with AI. Lehane argued that AI governance should recognise the technology as a general-purpose innovation — similar in impact to the steam engine or printing press — and that global rules must reflect this broad potential.
According to Lehane, effective democratisation means developing governance models that ensure broad access to AI rather than concentrating power among a few countries or companies. He said that countries in the Global South, including India, should play central roles in discussions about norms, safety standards, and distribution of AI technologies. Lehane also emphasised OpenAI’s willingness to work within India’s regulatory frameworks while advocating for policy approaches that align with the company’s mission to expand access and opportunity through AI.
Lehane pointed out that enabling citizens — including those with limited digital literacy or who primarily use native languages — to benefit from AI will require partnerships between tech firms and governments. OpenAI is working to support all 22 languages in India’s Eighth Schedule on its platform, a move intended to broaden accessibility. He stressed that local data and understanding of user needs must inform AI development to maximise positive impact and ensure that the productivity gains from AI are equitably shared.
