TL;DR
Anthropic has named Irina Ghose, a 24-year Microsoft veteran, as its India managing director as the startup prepares to open an office in Bengaluru. The hire underscores Anthropic’s push to convert heavy local usage of its Claude model into enterprise and public-sector traction amid intense competition in India.
What happened
Anthropic appointed Irina Ghose to head its India operations as the U.S. AI company prepares to establish an office in Bengaluru. Ghose, who stepped down from Microsoft in December 2025 after a 24-year tenure, will focus on working with enterprises, developers and startups using Anthropic’s Claude model for mission-critical tasks. The move comes as India has emerged as a major user base for Claude — with usage skewing toward technical and work-related applications — and as rival AI firms, including OpenAI, accelerate local expansion. Anthropic has been active at senior levels in India: CEO Dario Amodei visited in October and met corporate and government leaders. The company is also advertising local hires for sales and partner roles, signaling a broader go-to-market push to turn high user engagement into sustained revenue.
Why it matters
- Local leadership may help Anthropic navigate enterprise and government relationships critical to scaling in India.
- India’s large and technically engaged user base offers scale but converting usage into revenue remains a sector-wide challenge.
- Telecom and distribution partnerships are shaping which AI services can reach mass users in India.
- Competition with rivals expanding physical and commercial presence in India could influence pricing and product strategies.
Key facts
- Irina Ghose joined Anthropic as India managing director after 24 years at Microsoft.
- Ghose stepped down from Microsoft in December 2025, per the company announcement.
- Anthropic is preparing to open an office in Bengaluru to support local expansion.
- India is the second-largest user base for Anthropic’s Claude, with usage skewed toward technical and work-related tasks including software development.
- In September, Claude’s India downloads rose about 48% year-over-year to roughly 767,000 installs, and consumer spending in India grew 572% to $195,000 for that month (Appfigures).
- U.S. consumer spending on Claude in September was about $2.5 million, illustrating a large revenue gap between markets.
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei visited India in October and met lawmakers and business leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Anthropic explored a potential partnership with Reliance Industries but Reliance later struck a deal with Google to offer Gemini AI Pro to Jio subscribers; Bharti Airtel partnered with Perplexity for its premium bundle.
- The company is hiring India roles such as startup and enterprise account executives and a partner sales manager to expand its go-to-market presence.
What to watch next
- Whether Anthropic finalizes distribution partnerships with major telecoms in India (not confirmed in the source).
- Traction metrics and revenue growth for Claude in India as Anthropic builds a local sales and partner team.
- Announcements or outcomes from India’s AI Impact Summit 2026 and any government-level engagements involving Anthropic (not confirmed in the source).
- How pricing and promotional moves by rivals, including OpenAI, affect user conversion and monetization in India.
Quick glossary
- Generative AI: A class of artificial intelligence models that produce content such as text, images or code in response to prompts.
- Foundation model: A large-scale AI model trained on broad data that can be adapted for many downstream tasks.
- Enterprise-grade AI: AI products designed with security, reliability, and compliance features suitable for business-critical use.
- Go-to-market: The strategy and activities a company uses to reach customers and generate revenue for a product or service.
- Distribution partnership: A commercial agreement that leverages a partner’s channels—such as telecom carriers—to reach end users.
Reader FAQ
Who is Irina Ghose and what role will she play at Anthropic?
She is a former Microsoft India managing director with 24 years at Microsoft; she has joined Anthropic as India managing director to lead the company’s India expansion.
Will Anthropic open an office in Bengaluru?
Yes; Anthropic is preparing to open an office in Bengaluru to support its India operations, according to the source.
Has Anthropic secured a partnership with Reliance Industries?
Not confirmed in the source.
Will Anthropic match local pricing moves by rivals like OpenAI?
Not confirmed in the source.
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…
Sources
- Anthropic taps former Microsoft India MD to lead Bengaluru expansion
- Anthropic names ex-Microsoft MD Irina Ghose to head …
- Meet Irina Ghose, Microsoft veteran joining Anthropic as …
- Anthropic Taps Microsoft India Veteran Irina Ghose to Lead …
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