As the world’s largest developer markets continue to emerge, AI coding startup Cursor is making a significant push into India, a country that has already proven to be a hub for software engineering talent. The startup, which is expected to be acquired by SpaceX in a $60 billion all-stock deal, has launched its first country-specific subscription plan, Cursor Start, priced at ₹649-a-month (approximately $7), a move that reflects the growing importance of the Indian market to the company’s business.

India’s Growing Importance to Cursor’s Business

According to Simon Green, Cursor’s head of Asia-Pacific and Japan, India has become the company’s third-largest market globally, with its user base in the country more than tripling over the past year. The startup attributes this growth to India’s deep pool of software engineering talent, which makes it an attractive market for Cursor to expand into.

Cursor Start: A Country-Specific Subscription Plan

Cursor Start is a ₹649-a-month subscription plan that provides access to Cursor’s Composer 2.5 model and Grok 4.5, alongside cloud agents, its iOS app, plugins, Model Context Protocol support, hooks, and skills. The plan is designed for developers who need more AI-assisted coding capacity than the free tier offers without upgrading to the full Pro subscription. Unlike the $20-a-month Pro subscription, Start does not include access to frontier AI models from providers such as OpenAI and Anthropic, or advanced features including Bugbot, Auto Mode, Automations, and the Cursor SDK.

A Commercially Sustainable Model

Green emphasized that the India-specific pricing was designed to be commercially sustainable rather than a loss leader. He explained that the lower-priced plan is viable because it is built around Cursor’s own AI models, which carry lower operating costs than relying primarily on third-party frontier models. This strategy allows Cursor to broaden access to its services without compromising its bottom line.

Competing in a Fast-Growing AI Market

Cursor is not alone in tailoring its pricing for India. OpenAI and Anthropic have also rolled out India-specific plans over the past year as global AI companies compete for users in one of the world’s fastest-growing AI markets. Green noted that the success of this model could lead to its expansion to other markets in the future.

Expanding Presence in India

Cursor is also expanding its presence in India through new hires and a government affairs office. The company has recently hired its first salesperson in India and expects another leader to join in Delhi. This expansion is a testament to the company’s commitment to the Indian market and its potential for growth.

Opportunities in the Indian Market

Green identified significant opportunities for Cursor in sectors including banking and large enterprises as it expands its local sales efforts. The company sees India as a key market for its growth, and its localized pricing strategy is designed to take advantage of the country’s growing developer community.

As the acquisition by SpaceX is expected to close in Q3, Cursor will continue to operate independently, but the partnership has the potential to accelerate the company’s growth in India by leveraging SpaceX’s existing presence in the country through Starlink.

Key Statistics

• India has more than 27 million developers on GitHub, second only to the U.S.
• More than two million developers joined GitHub in 2026 alone.

Cursor’s India expansion is a strategic move that reflects the company’s growing importance in the global developer market. With its localized pricing strategy and expanding presence in the country, Cursor is well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the Indian market.