- India and Southeast Asia become new battlegrounds for growth
Global artificial intelligence leaders are turning their attention from the West to Asia’s rapidly digitizing economies, led by India and Southeast Asia. This strategic pivot marks the beginning of a new growth era—one where affordability, localization, and vast user bases drive innovation and competition.
Over the past year, major AI players have launched new products, set up regional offices, and forged telecom alliances to capture the region’s huge mobile-first audiences. Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic are all adapting their strategies for markets where smartphone penetration is high, data is cheap, and young populations are eager to experiment with new tools.
Google has taken the lead with its Gemini AI service, launching an India-first rollout that includes an 18-month free subscription for Reliance Jio customers. This partnership builds on Google’s $4.5 billion investment in Reliance Jio Platforms in 2020. The company has also introduced a $5-per-month budget version of Gemini in 40 developing nations, including Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Smaller rival Perplexity AI was the first to strike a deal with Airtel, offering its premium plan free to 360 million subscribers. Meanwhile, Anthropic opened an office in Bengaluru—its second in Asia Pacific—and reports that usage of its Claude AI service in India has grown fivefold between June and October 2025. CEO Dario Amodei even met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the company’s India push.
OpenAI, too, has accelerated its expansion, setting up its first India office earlier than planned and introducing its ChatGPT Go plan exclusively for the country. Despite some initial glitches, the company says its paying subscriber base in India doubled within a month.
India’s 900 million mobile users make it a crucial testing ground, while Southeast Asia represents the next frontier. Companies like Google and OpenAI have already begun rolling out discounted AI subscriptions across the region. As Western firms race to expand, Chinese AI startups are also eyeing Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore, as a base.
The coming years will determine whether this AI expansion empowers local innovation or repeats Big Tech’s extractive playbook of the past. For now, one thing is certain: the world’s next AI revolution is being written in Asia.
