Anthropic Expands in India with New Leadership
Anthropic has appointed Irina Ghose, a former Microsoft India managing director, to lead its India business as the U.S. AI startup prepares to open an office in Bengaluru. The move underscores how India is becoming a key battleground for AI companies looking to expand beyond the U.S. for major growth markets.
Leadership with Proven Experience
Irina Ghose brings a wealth of experience to her new role, having spent 24 years at Microsoft, where she held various significant positions. Her extensive knowledge of the Indian market, coupled with established relationships in local enterprises and government sectors, positions Anthropic well as it aims to establish a robust on-the-ground presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing AI markets.
India: A Key Market for AI
India has emerged as a crucial market for Anthropic, now holding the title of the second-largest user base for its AI product, Claude. Usage in India is predominantly skewed toward technical and work-related tasks such as software development, illustrating the demand for advanced AI solutions within the country. In parallel, industry competitor OpenAI is sharpening its focus on the Indian market, with plans to open an office in New Delhi. This suggests that India is rapidly transforming into a contested space in the global race for generative AI commercialization.
Challenges in Monetization
Despite the enormous scale of India’s internet usage—with more than a billion subscribers and upwards of 700 million smartphone users—converting that reach into meaningful revenue remains a challenge. This has prompted AI companies to experiment with aggressive pricing strategies. For instance, OpenAI introduced the ChatGPT Go plan, priced under $5, to attract Indian users, even offering it for free for a year last year.
Growth Indicators for Anthropic
Anthropic’s Claude app saw impressive growth in September, with a 48% increase in downloads compared to the previous year, totaling approximately 767,000 installs. Consumer spending within that month surged by 572%, amounting to $195,000. However, these figures remain modest compared to the U.S., where spending reached $2.5 million.
High-Level Engagements and Potential Partnerships
Ghose’s appointment comes in the wake of high-level engagements from Anthropic’s leadership. CEO Dario Amodei visited India recently, meeting with corporate leaders and lawmakers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to discuss the company’s expansion and the growing adoption of its tools. The company also explored partnerships with prominent local enterprises, including billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, to broaden access to Claude.
Targeting Local Enterprises and Startups
In her LinkedIn announcement, Ghose emphasized her focus on working with Indian enterprises, developers, and startups adopting Claude for “mission-critical” use cases. She highlighted the growing demand for “high-trust, enterprise-grade AI,” with a specific interest in tailoring AI solutions to local languages, which could act as a “force multiplier” across vital sectors like education and healthcare.
The Competitive Landscape of India’s GenAI Ecosystem
The competitive dynamics in India are intensified as local GenAI ecosystems remain in a relatively early stage. Although India boasts a significant talent pool and an expanding user base, it has produced few startups that can develop large foundation models. Investors have mostly funded application-layer companies rather than those requiring large capital for training frontier AI systems.
Future Developments and Considerations
Ghose’s appointment is timely, aligning with India’s AI Impact Summit scheduled for February 2026. This summit aims to unite AI startups, global CEOs, and industry experts to discuss the next phase of AI deployment in India. Such initiatives reflect the Indian government’s commitment to supporting domestic AI developments and establishing India as a substantial player on the global AI stage.
As Anthropic gears up for its India operations, the establishment of local leadership will be crucial in navigating the unique challenges of the market. The ongoing efforts to deepen engagement with Indian businesses and startups will be pivotal in leveraging the explosive usage growth into a sustainable and profitable business model.
For more information on Anthropic and their expansion plans, visit Here.
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