OpenAI to open first India office in New Delhi
New Delhi: OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, on Friday announced plans to open its first office in India later this year, selecting New Delhi as its base. The decision comes as India emerges as the company’s second-largest user base after the United States and one of its fastest-growing markets, with weekly active users rising more than fourfold over the past year.
The office will support the government’s IndiaAI mission and strengthen partnerships with local stakeholders. It will also help OpenAI serve students, educators, developers, and businesses who rely on its AI tools for learning, creativity, and problem-solving.
“The level of excitement and opportunity for AI in India is incredible. India has all the ingredients to become a global AI leader, amazing tech talent, a world-class developer ecosystem, and strong government support through the IndiaAI Mission,” said Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. “Opening our first office and building a local team is an important step in our commitment to make advanced AI more accessible across the country and to build AI for India, and with India.”
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw welcomed the move, calling it a recognition of India’s leadership in digital innovation and AI adoption. “With strong investments in digital public infrastructure, AI talent, and enterprise-scale solutions, India is uniquely positioned to drive the next wave of AI-led transformation,” he said.
While the exact location of the office is yet to be finalised, OpenAI has registered an entity in India and begun building a local team. The team will focus on collaboration with government, businesses, developers, and academic institutions, as well as on designing features tailored to India to make AI more affordable and accessible.
OpenAI’s technology is already being used in India across sectors including agriculture, recruitment, and governance. To deepen engagement, the company will host its first Education Summit in India this month, followed by its first Developer Day later this year.
Recruitment for various roles is underway, with further details on the office and upcoming initiatives expected in the coming months.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
