Anthropic has appointed Irina Ghose, former managing director of Microsoft India, to lead its India operations as the U.S. AI startup prepares to open an office in Bengaluru. The move highlights India’s growing importance as a key market for global AI companies seeking growth beyond the United States.
Ghose spent 24 years at Microsoft before stepping down in December 2025, bringing experience across enterprise, government, and large-scale technology deployments. Her appointment gives Anthropic senior local leadership as it builds an on-the-ground presence and expands adoption of its Claude AI models.
India is already Anthropic’s second-largest user base for Claude, with usage concentrated on technical and work-related tasks such as software development. Rival OpenAI is also increasing its focus on the country, underscoring intensifying competition for users, partners, and enterprise customers.
While India offers massive scale, monetization remains challenging, pushing AI firms to test aggressive pricing and partnerships. Anthropic has increased executive engagement in the country and is hiring for enterprise and partner-facing roles. The company aims to convert rising usage into a sustainable business as India emerges as a central battleground in the global AI market.
The India push follows Anthropic’s recent expansion of its Labs organization to accelerate experimental Claude-based products, as the company works to convert rising usage into a sustainable global business.
