ChatGPT Images 2.0 Gains Traction in India Amid Global Slow Start

Since its launch last week, India has become the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, OpenAI announced on Thursday. However, third-party data analyzed by TechCrunch reveals a more nuanced global picture, showing modest overall growth alongside significant surges in specific emerging markets.

ChatGPT Images 2.0, OpenAI's latest upgrade for image generation, is built to process intricate prompts and create detailed visuals, featuring accurate text in multiple languages. Initial data from the company indicates that users, particularly in its largest market of India, are leveraging it to craft personal imagery like avatars, stylized portraits, and fantasy-themed pictures.

Information shared by Sensor Tower and Similarweb with TechCrunch suggests the global reception has been mixed. According to Sensor Tower, ChatGPT app downloads increased by 11% week-over-week after the launch, but overall engagement saw only slight gains, with daily active users and sessions rising by approximately 1%. Similarweb data also indicates a limited rise in ChatGPT's global web traffic, up about 1.6% week-over-week during the same timeframe.

Nevertheless, Sensor Tower data highlights that several emerging markets—including Pakistan, Vietnam, and Indonesia—experienced more pronounced spikes in ChatGPT app downloads, with increases of up to 79% week-over-week during the rollout period.

India continued to be a major hub of activity throughout the launch. Sensor Tower estimates show ChatGPT was downloaded around 5 million times in India during the launch week, compared to about 2 million in the U.S., though week-over-week growth remained moderate. Similarweb data also reflects a limited increase in engagement, with daily active users in India growing roughly 3.4% week-over-week in the same period.

In India, early trends suggest ChatGPT Images 2.0 is primarily being used for self-expression. OpenAI notes that instead of purely functional creations, users are generating studio-quality portraits from casual photos, images tailored for social media, and imaginative visuals that feature themselves prominently.

These early patterns also underscore the varied adoption of AI image tools across different regions. While India's substantial user base contributes significantly to overall scale, the sharper upticks in countries like Pakistan and Indonesia signal stronger demand from new users in emerging markets following the launch.

OpenAI's rollout of Images 2.0 arrives as competition in AI image generation heats up. Google's earlier image-centric model, the original Nano Banana, also gained strong early momentum in India, highlighting the country's role as a key market for image-generation technology.

With the new ChatGPT Images release, OpenAI is advancing further with enhancements like improved rendering of non-Latin scripts—including Hindi and Bengali—and new "thinking" capabilities that allow the model to refine outputs and produce multiple variations from a single prompt.

Beyond stylized portraits and avatars, OpenAI reports that early Images 2.0 users in India are exploring a broader array of formats, from fantasy newspaper covers to tarot-inspired visuals and fashion mood boards. The company adds that users are also employing the AI tool to restore old photographs and create cinematic portrait collages, pointing to initial trends of more personalized application.