Mamaearth is taking its advertising strategy into a new digital environment: the ChatGPT conversation. The move comes as OpenAI expands ChatGPT Ads in India and turns the AI assistant into a new channel for brands trying to reach consumers while they research, compare and make purchase decisions.
The development is significant for India’s beauty and personal-care market because conversational AI is changing how product discovery happens. Instead of typing a product keyword into a search engine, consumers can increasingly describe a need, ask for comparisons and seek recommendations in a single interaction.
ChatGPT Opens New Ad Channel
OpenAI launched ChatGPT Ads in India in August 2026, extending its advertising rollout to one of its largest markets.
Ads are being shown to eligible logged-in adult users on the Free and Go tiers, while Plus, Pro and Business users do not receive ads. OpenAI says advertisements are clearly separated from ChatGPT’s answers and do not influence the answers themselves.
The company began testing ads in the US in February 2026 before expanding into additional markets. By August, the advertising business had reached a $1 billion annualised revenue run rate, less than 200 days after its launch. OpenAI also said ChatGPT Ads was operating in more than 40 countries and had tens of thousands of advertisers.
That speed of expansion explains why the India launch matters. ChatGPT is no longer simply an AI productivity product; OpenAI is building an advertising marketplace around conversations where consumers explore options and evaluate products.
Why Mamaearth Fits AI Discovery
For a beauty brand, the attraction is particularly clear. Skincare and haircare purchases often involve questions rather than simple searches: Which ingredients suit a particular concern? Which product should be used first? How do two products compare?
OpenAI’s own advertising guidance describes ChatGPT Ads as being designed around conversational intent and the context of what users are trying to accomplish. That creates a different environment from traditional keyword advertising, where brands compete primarily for search terms.
Mamaearth’s entry also comes as its parent company, Honasa Consumer, is showing stronger operating momentum.
In Q1 FY27, Honasa reported statutory consolidated revenue from operations of ₹755.95 crore, up 27% from ₹595.25 crore a year earlier. Its profit after tax rose nearly 119% to ₹90.45 crore. The company also highlighted EBITDA of about ₹110 crore in its earnings communication.
AI Changes Purchase Decisions
The larger question is whether advertising inside an AI assistant can become as commercially important as advertising around search and social media.
Traditional digital advertising generally separates discovery from decision-making. A consumer sees an advertisement, leaves the platform, searches for information and eventually decides what to purchase. Conversational AI compresses several of those steps into one environment.
That does not automatically mean ChatGPT Ads will replace search or social advertising. The platform is still in beta, and OpenAI says its advertising systems, inventory, measurement and buying processes are continuing to evolve.
But the commercial logic is already attracting advertisers. OpenAI introduced self-serve campaign management, CPC bidding and expanded measurement tools in 2026, lowering the operational barriers for businesses to test the platform.
India’s AI Ad Race Begins
Mamaearth’s move therefore sits at the intersection of two shifts: Honasa’s push for profitable growth and OpenAI’s rapid expansion into advertising.
The company should not be described as the “first Indian brand” to advertise on ChatGPT without independent confirmation of that distinction. What can be established is that Mamaearth is participating in the early Indian rollout of ChatGPT’s advertising ecosystem.
For India’s consumer brands, that may prove to be the more important development. As AI assistants increasingly become places where people compare products, evaluate alternatives and decide what to buy, visibility inside those conversations could become a new battleground for brand discovery.
The next test will not simply be whether consumers notice these advertisements. It will be whether brands can turn conversational intent into measurable commercial outcomes.
Also read: India Defies Global Headwinds With 7.8% GDP Growth, PM Modi Welcomes Strong Performance
