KRISOMIKA ChatGPT Ads in India: what businesses should know
OpenAI began showing ads in ChatGPT in the United States in February 2026 and widened the programme to India in late August 2026. Press reports say the ads appear to logged-in adults on the Free and Go tiers, are labelled as sponsored, and sit below the assistant’s answer. Paid plans such as Plus and Business are reported to stay ad-free.
Reports also say self-serve buying opened to Indian advertisers on 4 September 2026 at ads.openai.com, billed in rupees, with a daily minimum budget of ₹725. OpenAI says advertisers do not see people’s chats and receive only aggregate results such as impressions and clicks. Rules, prices and eligibility change quickly, so read the current terms before you spend.
Start small and measure. Send ChatGPT traffic to a page that matches the question people asked, tag it with UTM parameters, and record which leads become customers. Compare cost per qualified lead with your Google and Meta campaigns before you scale.
Ads are only one route. People also ask assistants for recommendations without clicking anything, and paid placement does not decide those answers. What helps is a clear, consistent description of your business: accurate Google Business Profile and website, structured data, helpful service and FAQ pages, and genuine reviews. No agency can guarantee a mention, but you can make it easy for assistants to describe you correctly.