ChatGPT Images 2.0 Sees Strong Adoption in India, Mixed Global Response

India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0 since its launch last week, according to OpenAI. The company said users in the country are using the tool to create personal visuals such as avatars, stylized portraits, and fantasy-themed images. Third-party data reviewed by TechCrunch indicates a more measured global response. Sensor Tower data shows ChatGPT app downloads rose 11% week-over-week following the launch, but daily active users and sessions increased only around 1%. Similarweb data shows global web traffic rising about 1.6% week-over-week. Some emerging markets saw sharper spikes. Sensor Tower data indicates Pakistan, Vietnam, and Indonesia experienced increases of up to 79% week-over-week in app downloads during the rollout period. Sensor Tower estimates show ChatGPT was downloaded about 5 million times in India during the launch week, compared with roughly 2 million in the U.S. Daily active users in India rose about 3.4% week-over-week, per Similarweb. OpenAI said early users in India are experimenting with formats beyond portraits, including fantasy newspaper covers, tarot-style visuals, fashion moodboards, and cinematic portrait collages. The company noted the tool is also being used to restore older photos. The launch comes amid intensifying competition in AI image generation. OpenAI has improved rendering of non-Latin text, including Hindi and Bengali, and added "thinking" capabilities that allow the model to refine outputs and generate multiple variations from a single prompt.