Experts say free AI access can drive skills, innovation, and economic growth in India

Mumbai, August 13, 2025 – Industry leaders predict that GPT-5 going free, AI access for students, and AI access for startups will significantly reshape India’s innovation and skills landscape. As the cost barrier to advanced AI models falls, students and entrepreneurs across the country can tap into world-class tools to enhance productivity, creativity, and competitiveness. Experts emphasize that this shift will enable both rural and urban users to harness AI for education, business, and research, sparking a new wave of AI-powered innovation.

Mahesh Mahajani, partner and technology consulting leader at EY India, said that students worldwide now have access to vast new learning opportunities powered by generative AI. For India, the impact is multiplied as GPT-5 can bridge resource gaps, providing rural and small-town learners with reliable internet, low-cost devices, and tailored educational content. He noted that this democratization of AI levels the playing field for talent from across the socioeconomic spectrum (Times of India).

Jaspreet Bindra, founder of Tech Whisperer, pointed out that free access to GPT-5 can empower students in India’s smaller towns to compete globally. He believes the model’s capabilities can help learners and entrepreneurs overcome traditional limitations of infrastructure and mentorship. For startups, the availability of advanced AI tools without upfront costs reduces barriers to innovation and speeds up product development cycles (Times of India).

Nitin Seth, co-founder and CEO of Incedo, highlighted that the AI revolution is not only about access but also about speed. With GPT-5 available at no cost, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can now experiment, prototype, and deploy solutions much faster. He stressed that in today’s competitive economy, rapid iteration is the key to delivering value to customers and securing market advantage (Times of India).

Vijay Gopalakrishnan, partner at Deloitte India, said the affordability of AI models is a game-changer for both education and industry. He warned, however, that the benefits will only materialize if businesses, educators, and policymakers invest in skill-building initiatives. According to him, India must prioritize training programs to help people effectively use these tools, ensuring they can engage with and apply AI in real-world contexts (Times of India).

Suraj Amolnkar, chief AI research and platforms officer at Fractal, called the free availability of GPT-5 a “futuristic leap” for Indian talent. He believes this change will expose young minds to new ways of working, giving them a head start in AI-driven careers. With easier access to frontier AI technology, small startups can compete with larger firms by leveraging intelligent automation, advanced analytics, and AI-driven customer engagement (Times of India).

Experts agree that India’s advantage lies in quickly adopting GPT-5 across education, startups, and industry while building a strong AI skills pipeline. By combining accessibility with focused upskilling, the country can position itself as a global leader in AI-powered innovation.

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