India has emerged as the largest market for ChatGPT’s newly launched Images 2.0 model, just weeks after its debut within the chatbot, according to a report by Mint citing inputs from OpenAI. The company also outlined how Indian users are increasingly adopting the model for creative and cultural use cases beyond basic image editing.
OpenAI stated that Images 2.0 is being widely used across India not just for functional tasks but as part of broader internet culture, particularly among younger users experimenting with identity, aesthetics and storytelling online.
The company noted that Indian users are leaning more towards self-expression and pop culture-driven formats rather than workplace or productivity-focused applications.
Key trends emerging in India
OpenAI highlighted several prominent trends shaping the use of Images 2.0 in the country:
Universal lighting: Users are transforming everyday photos into dramatic studio-style portraits
Headshots: Creation of polished, creator-style and professional profile images
Anime: Converting selfies into manga-inspired avatars and stylised visuals
Style Me: Generating AI-led fashion transformations and outfit concepts
Fantasy newspaper: Designing fictional newspaper covers featuring users themselves
Tarot: Crafting card-inspired mystical portraits and storytelling imagery
Blueprint: Producing futuristic architecture, interior redesigns and planning visuals
Enhance: Restoring and upgrading older or low-quality images
Flash and Spring: Experimenting with paparazzi-style editorial imagery and soft, pastel-themed aesthetics
The company also observed a rise in country-specific prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic portraits.
What’s new in Images 2.0
OpenAI’s latest model builds on earlier iterations of image generation integrated within ChatGPT. Around a year ago, the company saw significant traction in India following the rollout of native image generation capabilities in its GPT-4o model, which enabled users to create and edit images directly within the chatbot without relying on external tools like DALL·E 3.
That phase saw widespread adoption, including viral trends such as users transforming portraits into styles inspired by Studio Ghibli, with participation ranging from celebrities to everyday users.
However, momentum slowed in subsequent months as competition intensified. Google’s Gemini Nano Banana model gained traction by outperforming in both benchmarks and real-world use cases, offering faster processing, improved character consistency and more advanced editing features.
OpenAI later introduced an Images 1.5 model to compete, though it did not match the popularity or performance of its rival.
With Images 2.0, the company has introduced enhanced reasoning capabilities, allowing the model to better interpret prompts and incorporate real-time web data to improve image generation outcomes.
The model has also been optimised for Indian users, particularly in handling non-English text more accurately, enabling the creation of promotional material, memes and visuals in Hindi and other regional languages without significant errors.
The development underscores India’s growing importance as a key market for generative AI adoption, with user behaviour increasingly shaping how global technology companies refine and deploy their products.
First Published on
