Anthropic has made a strategic move by appointing Irina Ghose, the former managing director of Microsoft India, to spearhead its operations in India as the U.S.-based AI startup prepares to establish an office in Bengaluru. This decision highlights India’s growing significance in the global AI landscape, as companies increasingly seek growth opportunities beyond U.S. borders.
Irina Ghose, who brings over two decades of experience from Microsoft, will play a pivotal role in developing local partnerships and expanding Anthropic’s footprint in one of the world’s fastest-growing AI markets. Her background offers the company invaluable connections within both the enterprise sector and government, positioning it for success in a competitive environment.
India holds strategic importance for Anthropic, now ranking as the second-largest market for its AI application, Claude. With a user base that skews heavily towards professional tasks, including software development, the country has emerged as a critical battleground for AI firms. OpenAI, a key competitor, plans to open an office in New Delhi, further intensifying the rivalry in this burgeoning market for generative AI technologies.
The potential for massive scalability in India is appealing, with more than a billion internet users and over 700 million smartphone subscribers. However, translating this reach into substantial revenue remains challenging. Both Anthropic and OpenAI have been experimenting with pricing strategies to attract Indian customers. OpenAI, for instance, introduced a budget-friendly ChatGPT Go plan and recently offered it free for a year in India.
Recent data shows that Anthropic’s Claude experienced a notable uptick in popularity, with downloads in India rising 48% year-over-year to approximately 767,000, while consumer spending surged 572%, reaching $195,000 in September, though still modest compared to $2.5 million in the U.S.
In her LinkedIn announcement, Ghose emphasized her commitment to collaborating with Indian enterprises and developers to adopt Claude for critical business applications. She highlighted the demand for “high-trust, enterprise-grade AI,” and noted the significance of developing AI solutions tailored to local languages, which could enhance various sectors, including education and healthcare.
As India’s GenAI ecosystem is still in its nascent stages, with limited startups focused on building foundational models, investors have largely supported application-layer developments. The appointment comes ahead of the AI Impact Summit 2026, set for February, where the Indian government aims to bring together leading AI startups and experts to discuss the future of AI in the nation.
Anthropic is further expanding its local presence by listing job openings for various roles, including account executives and a partner sales manager, signaling its commitment to fostering relationships with Indian businesses and startups. The company’s strategy seeks not only to capitalize on increasing usage but also to navigate a complex market landscape shaped by partnerships, pricing pressures, and enterprise-level adoption, identifying long-term winners in the competitive AI field.
