AI Trends in India: Free AI Shrinks as New Models Arrive

For a year, the biggest AI trend in India was free access: ChatGPT Go free for a year, and Google AI Pro bundled free with Jio's 5G plans. The AI trends in India this week point the other way. The newest models are launching behind paid plans, and some of the free and bundled access is being trimmed.

Key points

• Google's Antigravity coding app removes Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.6 on 2 November 2026; their replacements, Claude 5.5, need a non-trial Google AI Pro plan.
• The first ChatGPT Go free years, claimed from 4 November 2025, run out in early November.
• Gemini 4 Carbon (28 October) and GPT-6.1 Terra (26 October) launched with no access for free users.

What changes for Jio's free Google AI Pro users?

Update, 30 October: Jio has closed the offer. Its help page now says the Google Gemini offer "has ended and is no longer available on new recharges or plan upgrades", while people who already claimed keep their full 18 months of Google AI Pro. Our Jio Gemini Pro offer explainer covers what happens next.

The catch is what the plan includes. Google's Antigravity model list marks Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Opus 4.6 and GPT-OSS-120b "will be removed on November 2, 2026". The newer Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Opus 5.5 are "available on Google AI Pro for non-trial subscriptions only", and on AI Pro, Gemini 4 Argon needs a paid plan or a trial on an eligible premium device.

Whether a Jio plan counts as a trial is the open question. Users on Google's developer forum say their Jio accounts show Argon as unavailable and warn that third-party models disappear on 2 November, and one reply describes the Jio offer as a promotional membership. Google has not answered those threads, so treat it as reported, not confirmed. If you rely on Claude inside Antigravity, test it on 3 November.

When does the ChatGPT Go free year end?

Twelve months after you redeemed it. The earliest claims were on 4 November 2025, so the first free years end next week, and some renew at ₹399 a month. Our ChatGPT Go free year guide explains how to check your renewal date and why cancelling early can end access at once. For what each tier costs in rupees, see our AI subscription price in India report.

Who can use Gemini 4 Carbon?

Almost nobody yet. Google announced Gemini 4 Carbon on 28 October as a model aimed at cybersecurity work and is releasing it first to "a subset of cyber defenders" through its Fairwind Program, with developers, businesses and consumers to follow "soon". It will launch at the same introductory API price as Gemini 4 Argon: $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens. No India date or rupee price has been announced.

Is GPT-6.1 Terra free on ChatGPT?

No. OpenAI's announcement says GPT-6.1 Terra is "available to all Plus, Pro, Enterprise, and Edu users" in ChatGPT Work and Codex. Free and Go users are not on that list. For developers it is the cheaper option: $1 per million input tokens and $5 per million output tokens, which OpenAI says is 50% below GPT-6.1 Sol. Our explainer on whether GPT-6 is free covers what each ChatGPT tier gets.

Where is Indian AI heading?

Into government work. Sarvam AI signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian armed forces' Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, MediaNama reported on 29 October, with no value or duration disclosed. A day earlier, Sarvam's Indus Cowork assistant was rolled out to 2,500 Maharashtra government officials in 22 languages, according to Analytics India Magazine.

The money is concentrated too. Tracxn data reported by Analytics India Magazine puts total funding for Indian-language AI at $687 million, with Sarvam and Krutrim holding 68% of it. For readers, the practical upshot is that India's homegrown models are reaching people through government services first, not consumer apps.

What do these AI trends in India mean for you this week?

1. On Jio's Google AI Pro? Open the MyJio app to confirm your plan is active, and test any Claude workflow in Antigravity after 2 November.
2. On a free ChatGPT Go year? Check Settings → Billing for your renewal date before early November.
3. Building with the API? Try GPT-6.1 Terra for high-volume tasks, and budget for Carbon at Argon's introductory rate, since Google has not said how long that rate lasts.

FAQ

Can Jio Google AI Pro users use Claude in Antigravity?

Claude 4.6 is removed from Antigravity on 2 November 2026, and Claude 5.5 needs a non-trial Google AI Pro plan, per Google's model list. Forum users report Jio plans are treated as trials; Google hasn't confirmed this.

Is Gemini 4 Carbon available in India?

Not to the public yet. Google released it on 28 October 2026 to a small group of cybersecurity partners and says developers, businesses and consumers will get it later.

Can ChatGPT Go users get GPT-6.1 Terra?

No. OpenAI lists Plus, Pro, Enterprise and Edu users for GPT-6.1 Terra; Free and Go plans are not included.

Cover image: the opening of the India AI Impact Summit, New Delhi, February 2026. Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India, via Wikimedia Commons.