As global AI companies race to tap into one of the largest consumer markets in India, Anthropic is taking its next step. The Claude-maker has appointed Irina Ghose, former Microsoft India chief, as Managing Director for the country. The move comes as the AI startup, which is reportedly planning to raise fresh funds at a valuation of around $350 billion, prepares to open its first office in Bengaluru, often referred to as India’s Silicon Valley. Notably, India is already Anthropic’s second-largest market globally by usage, after the US. Usage data shows that Indian users engage heavily with Claude for technical, coding, and mathematical tasks, pointing to strong adoption among developers, engineers, students, and knowledge workers.
Ghose’s appointment marks the company’s first senior leadership hire in the country and signals a shift from remote market engagement to a structured, long-term presence. She brings more than three decades of experience in the technology industry, including 24 years at Microsoft, where she held multiple leadership roles before becoming Managing Director of Microsoft India. During her tenure, she worked closely with large enterprises, startups, and government bodies, overseeing cloud adoption, enterprise software growth, and digital transformation initiatives across sectors like banking, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and the public sector.
And now, in her new role, Ghose will oversee Anthropic’s India strategy, including go-to-market efforts, partnerships, and ecosystem development. Her experience navigating the country’s regulatory landscape and working with both private and public sector organizations is expected to play a key role as AI adoption accelerates and governance frameworks continue to evolve. India is increasingly shaping policies around data protection, AI ethics, and responsible use, making local leadership critical for global AI firms operating in the country.
Meanwhile, the upcoming Bengaluru office, expected to open in early 2026, will serve as Anthropic’s operational base in the country. From there, the company plans to build local teams, expand enterprise partnerships, and work more closely with research institutions and policy stakeholders. The focus will not only be on business growth, but also on deploying AI systems responsibly in a diverse and complex market. Anthropic has consistently positioned itself as a safety-first AI company, stressing reliability, transparency, and long-term societal impact in the development of its models.
However, despite these aggressive efforts across the industry, breaking into a market as complex, price-sensitive, and tightly regulated as India will not be easy for Anthropic. The company will need to navigate intense competition from global and local players, balance affordability with advanced capabilities, and adapt its AI offerings to India’s diverse languages, use cases, and regulatory expectations.
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