New Delhi: OpenAI on Wednesday announced partnerships with leading Indian universities to integrate artificial intelligence across management, health, engineering, creative, and multidisciplinary education, aiming to develop AI-ready talent for a technology-driven economy.
The first cohort of partner institutions includes Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad), All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi (AIIMS New Delhi), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), and Pearl Academy, OpenAI said in a statement.
The initiative will support over 1 lakh students, faculty, and staff over the next year, moving beyond basic access to AI tools toward campus-wide integration anchored in responsible use and academic integrity.
Raghav Gupta, Head of Education, OpenAI India, said, “AI literacy is essential to building a future-ready generation. Studies project that by 2030, nearly 40 per cent of the core skills workers rely on today will change, driven largely by AI. Yet, a gap remains between what AI tools can do and how people are using them. Educational institutions are a critical route to bridge this gap. By embedding AI tools, training, and research into the core infrastructure of schools and universities, they can equip students with the skills needed to thrive in a world with AI.”
The collaboration will include enterprise-grade ChatGPT Edu access, structured onboarding, discipline-specific implementation guidance, and responsible-use frameworks aligned with institutional policies. AI fluency will be integrated into core academic workflows such as advanced prompting, analytics, coding, simulations, case analysis, and AI-assisted research. OpenAI will also support hackathons, build days, and Industry Days, connecting campus innovation with startups and enterprises.
Additionally, IIM Ahmedabad and MAHE will deploy OpenAI certifications to formalise structured AI capability pathways within business and multidisciplinary programmes.
At IIT Delhi, the partnership will focus on engineering-led innovation and advanced research, including potential campus-wide ChatGPT Edu access, faculty briefings, and integration of generative AI tools into applied problem-solving and systems design.
Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi, said, “We are delighted to partner with OpenAI to explore access to the latest ChatGPT Edu tools for our students, researchers, and faculty and to enable collaborative research in novel applications of AI, including in education. This is part of IIT Delhi’s strategy to enhance partnerships with sovereign and global AI companies.”
At IIM Ahmedabad, AI fluency will be embedded across strategy, operations, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, and public policy curricula. Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIM Ahmedabad, said, “Technology has always been a great enabler for humankind. As the world is looking at the century-defining opportunities that lie ahead with AI, across every industry and economy, it is time that we brace ourselves by building a strong foundation for an exciting future.”
With AIIMS New Delhi, OpenAI will explore applied AI in medical education and clinical training, including a potential AI in Medical Education Hub. Prof. M. Srinivas, Director, AIIMS, said, “At AIIMS New Delhi, we see artificial intelligence as a powerful enabler of academic excellence and clinical precision. Through the proposed AI in Medical Education Hub, we aim to establish robust quality benchmarks, safety guardrails, and ethical standards so that AI strengthens clinical judgment, enhances learning, and ultimately improves patient care outcomes.”
At MAHE, the collaboration will focus on cross-disciplinary research and large-scale AI literacy. Lt. Gen. Dr. M. D. Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor, MAHE, said, “Through this collaboration with OpenAI, MAHE aspires to cement its role as a digitally transformed and AI-enabled pioneering higher education institution.”
At UPES, AI will be deployed across engineering, business, design, law, and health sciences, while at Pearl Academy, the collaboration will focus on AI in creative practice, including design development, branding, fashion technology, and digital media workflows, with emphasis on responsible and ethical use.
Beyond campuses, OpenAI is partnering with ed-tech platforms PhysicsWallah, upGrad, and HCL GUVI to launch structured AI courses focused on fundamentals and practical ChatGPT applications for students and early-career professionals.
With PTI inputs