Sept 1 (Reuters) - ChatGPT parent OpenAI is scouting

local partners to set up a data center in India with at least 1

gigawatt capacity, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing

unidentified sources.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment outside regular business hours.

OpenAI, backed by Microsoft ( MSFT ), has formally

registered as a legal entity in India and has begun building a

local team. The company said in August it plans to open its

first India office in New Delhi later this year, expanding its

presence in its second-largest market by user base.

The plan to build a large new data center could mark a major

step forward in Asia for OpenAI's Stargate-branded artificial

intelligence infrastructure push, Bloomberg News reported.

The location and timeline of OpenAI's proposed India project

remain uncertain, Bloomberg reported, adding that CEO Sam Altman

may announce the facility during his visit to the country in

September.

U.S. President Donald Trump in January announced Stargate, a

private sector investment of up to $500 billion for AI

infrastructure, funded by SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle.

(Reporting by Ananya Palyekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank

Dhaniwala)