ChatGPT Images 2.0 is a hit in India, but not yet a big winner elsewhere

India has become the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0 since its launch last week, OpenAI said on Thursday. However, third-party data reviewed by TechCrunch points to a more measured global response, with limited overall growth alongside sharp spikes in select emerging markets.

ChatGPT Images 2.0, the latest upgrade to OpenAI image generation, is designed to handle more complex prompts and create detailed visualizations, including accurate text in multiple languages. The company’s early models suggest that users – especially in India, its biggest market – are using it to create personal visuals such as avatars, stylized portraits and fantasy-themed images.

Data shared by Sensor Tower and Similarweb with TechCrunch suggests that the rollout has led to a more mixed global response. ChatGPT app downloads rose 11% in the week after launch, per Sensor Tower, but the overall increase in engagement was modest, with daily active users and sessions only up about 1%. Data from Similarweb also shows a limited increase in ChatGPT’s global web traffic, growing by around 1.6% per week over the same period.

However, data from Sensor Tower shows that some emerging markets — including Pakistan, Vietnam and Indonesia — saw sharper spikes in ChatGPT app downloads, with increases of up to 79% week-over-week during the rollout period.

Meanwhile, India remained a major source of activity during the rollout. Sensor Tower estimates that ChatGPT was downloaded around 5 million times in India during its launch week, compared to roughly 2 million in the US, although growth remains modest on a weekly basis. Data from Similarweb also points to a limited uptick in engagement, with daily active users in India growing by around 3.4% per week over the same period.

In India, early trends show that ChatGPT Images 2.0 is largely used as a form of self-expression. Instead of purely functional results, users create studio-style portraits from everyday photos, social media-ready images and imaginative visualizations that are placed in the center, OpenAI said.

Early models also highlight how AI imaging tools are being adopted differently in different markets. While India’s large user base drives the overall scale, sharper spikes in countries like Pakistan and Indonesia point to stronger demand from new users in emerging markets after the launch.

The launch of OpenAI’s Images 2.0 comes amid intensifying competition in AI image generation. Google’s earlier image-focused model, the original Nano Banana, also saw strong early popularity in India, showing how the nation has become an important market for image generation.

With the new release of ChatGPT Images, OpenAI is moving forward with improvements such as better rendering of non-Latin text, including Hindi and Bengali, and new « thinking » capabilities that allow it to refine results and generate multiple variations from a single prompt.

Beyond stylized portraits and avatars, OpenAI said early users of Images 2.0 in India are experimenting with a wider range of formats, from fancy newspaper covers to tarot-style visuals and fashion mood boards. Users are also using the AI ​​tool to restore older photos and create cinematic portrait collages, the company said, offering early models for more personal use.