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

India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0 since its inception launched last weekOpenAI said Thursday. However, third-party data reviewed by TechCrunch points to a more measured global response, with limited overall growth, along with sharp spikes in certain emerging markets.

ChatGPT Images 2.0, OpenAI’s latest image generation enhancement, is designed to handle more complex prompts and produce detailed visuals, including accurate text in multiple languages. The company’s early examples suggest that users — particularly in its largest market, India — are using it to create personal visuals such as avatars, stylized portraits and fantasy-themed images.

Data shared with TechCrunch by Sensor Tower and Similarweb suggests that the launch drew a more mixed global response. ChatGPT’s app downloads grew 11% week over week after launch, according to Sensor Tower, but overall engagement gains were modest, with daily active users and sessions increasing just 1%. Similarweb data also shows limited growth in ChatGPT’s global web traffic, which is up about 1.6% week over week over the same period.

However, Sensor Tower data shows that some emerging markets, including Pakistan, Vietnam and Indonesia, saw even steeper increases in ChatGPT’s app downloads, increasing by up to 79% during the week of the release.

India, meanwhile, remained a major source of activity during the outbreak. Sensor Tower estimates show that ChatGPT was downloaded nearly 5 million times in India during its launch week and was downloaded nearly 2 million times in the US, though growth remained modest during the week. Similarweb data also points to limited connectivity growth in India with daily active users increasing by around 3.4% week over week over the same period.

Early trends in India show that ChatGPT Images 2.0 is mainly used as a form of self-expression. More than purely functional results, users create studio-style portraits from everyday photos, social media-ready images and creative visuals that put themselves at the center, OpenAI said.

Early examples also highlight how AI imaging tools are being perceived differently in markets. While India’s large user base shows overall growth, sharper jumps in countries such as Pakistan and Indonesia point to stronger new user demand in emerging aftermarket markets.

The launch of OpenAI’s Images 2.0 comes amid intensifying competition in AI imaging. Google’s previous image-centric model, the original Nano bananaalso saw strong early traction In India, it shows how the nation has become an important market for image building.

With the new ChatGPT Images release, OpenAI goes further with improvements such as better rendering of non-Latin text, including Hindi and Bengali, and new “thinking” capabilities that allow you to refine outputs and create multiple variations from a single query.

In addition to stylized portraits and avatars, OpenAI said the first users of Images 2.0 in India are experimenting with a wider range of formats — from fantasy newspaper covers to tarot-style visuals and fashion moodboards. Users also use the AI ​​tool to restore old photos and create cinematic portrait collages, the company said, offering early examples for more personal use.