OpenAI Starts Local API Processing in India With GPT-6 Luna

OpenAI has started local processing and inference for its API in India, so eligible businesses and developers can run supported AI requests inside the country. The company announced the launch on November 12, 2026, and it is available first for the GPT-6 Luna model.

For supported workloads, both the handling of an API request and the model computation that produces the answer take place in India, and supported customer content is also stored in the country. The launch covers direct API usage through the Responses and Chat Completions APIs. India joins Australia and Japan as the latest places where OpenAI offers API inference residency.

OpenAI India inference residency at a glance

OpenAI's India residency now covers processing, not just storage

OpenAI already let customers keep data stored in India. The new launch extends that residency to where information is processed. OpenAI said where AI handles information can decide whether an application moves into production for Indian organisations, especially financial services firms with specific localisation rules. The company listed text tasks such as summarising documents, drafting responses and helping employees analyse information.

To use it, a customer creates a new API project with India selected for both storage and processing, and sends requests to the India regional endpoint. OpenAI had recently made a similar residency option available on certain models through Amazon Web Services' Bedrock.

Nitin Bawankule on why some Indian firms held back AI work

"Some Indian businesses have not fully deployed AI for important work because they need the information involved to be processed within the country. Local inference gives them more control over where supported workloads run and helps address a practical barrier to adoption. It gives more businesses a way to put OpenAI’s tools to work, and gives Indian developers and startups more scope to build for their own, and enterprise needs."

OpenAI's price uplift for India processing

OpenAI's API documentation says data residency endpoints carry a 10% price uplift for eligible models released on or after March 5, 2026.

Where OpenAI's India offer stands at launch

Eligible OpenAI API customers in India can now have GPT-6 Luna requests processed and answered inside the country, on top of storing supported content there. The option works through the Responses and Chat Completions APIs and the in.api.openai.com endpoint. It follows OpenAI for India, under which OpenAI and Tata Group agreed in February 2026 to build AI data centre capacity in the country.

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