India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0 since its launch last week, OpenAI said on Thursday. However, third-party data reviewed by TechCrunch points to a more measured global response, with limited overall growth with faster growth in select emerging markets.

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

Data shared with TechCrunch by Sensor Tower and Similarweb shows that the rollout has drawn a more mixed response globally. ChatGPT’s app downloads grew 11% week-over-week after launch, per Sensor Tower, but overall engagement growth was modest, with daily active users and sessions increasing only around 1%. Similar web data also shows limited growth in ChatGPT’s global web traffic, up about 1.6% week-over-week over the same period.

However, data from Sensor Tower indicates some emerging markets—including Pakistan, Vietnam, and Indonesia—saw rapid growth in ChatGPT’s app downloads, increasing by 79% week-over-week during the rollout period.

India, meanwhile, remained a major source of activity during the rollout. Estimates from Sensor Tower show that ChatGPT was downloaded about 5 million times in India during the week of launch, compared to about 2 million in the US, though growth remained modest on a week-over-week basis. Similar web data also points to a limited increase in engagement, with the number of daily active users in India increasing by around 3.4% during the same period.

In India, early trends show that Chat GPT Images 2.0 is being used mostly as a form of self-expression. Instead of purely functional output, users are creating studio-style portraits from everyday photos, social media-ready images, and imaginative visuals that center themselves, OpenAI said.

Early prototypes also highlight how AI image tools are being adopted differently across markets. While India’s user base leads overall, rapid growth in countries like Pakistan and Indonesia points to strong new user demand in emerging markets following this launch.

OpenAI’s Images 2.0 launch comes amid intense competition in AI image generation. Google’s earlier photo-focused model, the original Nano Banana, also saw strong initial traction in India, showing how the country has become an important market for photography.

With the release of new ChatGPT images, OpenAI continues to improve with better rendering of non-Latin text, including Hindi and Bengali, and new “think” capabilities that allow it to optimize output and generate multiple variations from a single prompt.

Besides stylized portraits and avatars, OpenAI said early Images 2.0 users in India are experimenting with a wide range of formats — from fantasy newspaper covers to tarot-style visuals and fashion mood boards. Users are using the AI ​​tool to restore old photos and create cinematic portrait collages, the company said, suggesting early prototypes for more personalized uses.