Earlier this week, GitHub announced that its AI-powered coding tool, GitHub Copilot, will now be available for free within Visual Studio Code (VS Code). This move comes as GitHub reaches 150 million developers on its platform. Thomas Dohmke, the CEO of GitHub, shared on Twitter that there has been a surge in Copilot Free activations in India and across the APAC region since the announcement. This is a significant development for the Indian developer ecosystem, as Dohmke had previously predicted that India will overtake the US as the largest developer community on the platform by 2027. The free tier of GitHub Copilot offers up to 2,000 code completions and 50 chat messages per month, and is available to anyone with a GitHub account. GitHub also announced that Copilot Chat is now accessible directly from the GitHub dashboard, making it easier for developers to use the tool. This move is aimed at empowering GitHub’s 150 million developers with free access to these tools. Additionally, students, educators, and open-source maintainers will continue to have free access to Copilot Pro accounts. GitHub has been actively fostering the Indian developer ecosystem, with initiatives like partnering with Infosys to open the first GitHub Center of Excellence in Bengaluru. This surge in Copilot Free activations is a testament to the growing popularity and adoption of GitHub’s tools in India and the APAC region.
