Sam Altman’s AI Cricket Avatar Sparks Buzz in India—But What’s the Real Agenda?
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently shared an AI-generated anime-style image of himself as a cricket player, sporting none other than a bright blue Indian jersey. The image, created by ChatGPT following the prompt “Sam Altman as a cricket player in anime style”, instantly stirred Indian social media into a frenzy.
Altman’s X (formerly Twitter) post, which followed the recent viral “Studio Ghibli” AI image trend, stood out due to the India jersey—leading to a flood of reactions from Indian users. While many were thrilled to see Altman don the Indian colors, others couldn’t help but speculate about the motive behind the post.
Marketing or Flattery?
“Sam trying hard to attract Indian customers,” quipped one user. Another added, “Now awaiting your India announcement. How much are you allocating out of that $40bn to India?”—a nod to OpenAI’s massive recent funding.
Several users picked up on a pattern in Altman’s posts: a sudden surge in praise for India and its growing role in AI. One asked, “How did this sudden love for India come about? Feels like a deeper strategy is at play.”
A Calculated Shift in Tone
Indeed, hours before the cricket image, Altman praised India’s rapid adoption of AI, calling it “amazing to watch” and “outpacing the world.” His remarks went viral, and Indian media quickly picked up the story.
This isn’t Altman’s first attempt at charming Indian audiences. Days earlier, he retweeted Ghibli-style images of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—originally shared by the government’s citizen engagement platform. The timing of these posts has only fueled skepticism about whether this sudden affection is driven by admiration—or market strategy.
A Past of Skepticism, A Present of Praise
This change in tone marks a stark contrast from Altman’s 2023 visit to India. When asked whether small Indian startups with a $10M budget could build AI tools to rival OpenAI, he had bluntly said it was “totally hopeless”—though he encouraged entrepreneurs to try anyway.
Fast-forward to 2025, and the narrative has shifted. During a February meeting with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Altman praised India’s AI progress and hinted at collaborations to develop low-cost AI models. He also revealed that India is OpenAI’s second-largest market, with its user base tripling in the last year.
Follow the Money
Industry experts suggest Altman’s recent moves are less about sentiment and more about strategy. India’s AI market is expected to hit $8 billion by 2025, growing at over 40% CAGR from 2020 to 2025, according to the International Trade Administration.
Nikhil Pahwa, founder of MediaNama, believes these grand gestures are business-driven. “India is a very large client base for global AI models. With cheaper rivals like DeepSeek AI on the rise, Altman needs to retain users and woo Indian developers,” he says.
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas, another AI industry leader, recently pledged $1M and five hours per week to support Indian AI startups—further reflecting the growing competition to win India’s AI market.
A Bit of Business, a Bit of Buzz
Technology commentator Prasanto K Roy believes that viral trends like the Studio Ghibli AI images have revealed India’s massive engagement with platforms like ChatGPT. With competitors like Gemini and Grok expanding their reach in India, Altman’s anime cricketer post may be just the latest move in a calculated campaign to stay ahead.
As Pahwa puts it, “There’s no real love here—it’s just business.”