Anthropic Appoints Microsoft Veteran Irina Ghose as India Managing Director

Quick Brief

• The Appointment: Anthropic hires Irina Ghose, former Microsoft India MD with 30+ years in tech, to lead India operations ahead of Bengaluru office opening
• The Market: India ranks as Claude’s second-largest user base globally; 48% of usage focused on technical/mathematical tasks
• The Timing: Comes as India’s AI market accelerates toward $126 billion by 2030, with 47% of enterprises moving AI to production
• The Competition: OpenAI announced New Delhi office plans in August 2025; Google launched Market Access Program for Indian AI startups

Anthropic appointed Irina Ghose as Managing Director of India on January 15, 2026, positioning the AI safety company to compete aggressively in the world’s second-largest internet market. Ghose brings over three decades of technology leadership, most recently serving as Managing Director at Microsoft India where she led enterprise AI adoption across banking, healthcare, manufacturing, and government sectors. The appointment precedes the opening of Anthropic’s first office in Bengaluru, marking a strategic expansion into a market projected to reach $126 billion in AI opportunities by 2030.

What’s New

Ghose transitions from Microsoft after more than two decades with the company, including roles as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director for Cloud Solutions. At Microsoft India, she architected digital transformation strategies across Azure Infrastructure, Data & AI, Microsoft 365, and Security Solutions. Her experience scaling enterprise technology in India’s diverse market aligns with Anthropic’s mission to deploy trustworthy AI at scale.

Chris Ciauri, Anthropic’s Managing Director of International, stated Ghose’s expertise in scaling technology businesses and enterprise transformation makes her ideal for leading the expansion. The India team will engage policymakers, academic institutions, developers, and enterprises addressing local challenges with AI.

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Why India Matters to Anthropic

India represents strategic value beyond market size for Anthropic. Claude.ai ranks as the second-largest market globally, with downloads surging 48% year-over-year in September 2025 to approximately 767,000 installs. Consumer spending exploded 572% to $195,000 that month, though still modest compared to the U.S. market’s $2.5 million.

India’s usage patterns distinguish it from other markets. According to Anthropic’s fourth Economic Index, nearly half of all Claude.ai usage in India concentrates on computer and mathematical tasks, indicating strong developer and technical professional adoption. This technical focus aligns with India’s position as a global technology services hub and its 47% enterprise adoption rate of production-grade AI systems.

The broader market dynamics underscore the opportunity. Enterprise AI in India is projected to surge 6.5x from $11 billion in 2025 to $71 billion by 2030, driven by BFSI, manufacturing, healthcare, and education sectors. Government initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission, backed by ₹10,300 crore, are democratizing GPU access and compressing prototype-to-production timelines.

Competitive Landscape

Anthropic joins intensifying competition for India’s AI market. OpenAI announced plans in August 2025 to open its first India office in New Delhi, hiring Pragya Misra as public policy lead and Rishi Jaitly as senior advisor for government relations. CEO Sam Altman emphasized the commitment to “build AI for India, and with India”.

Google launched its Market Access Program in January 2026 to scale Indian AI startups globally, complemented by a 1-gigawatt Global AI Hub in Visakhapatnam powered by green energy. The tech giant also introduced MedGemma 1.5 and FunctionGemma models to support healthcare AI and on-device agents.

What Ghose Brings to the Role

Ghose articulated her vision for Anthropic’s India strategy, stating: “Indian organizations are moving beyond experimentation toward applied AI, where trust, safety, and long-term impact matter as much as innovation”. Her emphasis on trust aligns with industry research identifying governance and auditability as critical differentiators in India’s complex, multilingual market.

Her Microsoft tenure demonstrates capability in navigating India’s regulatory environment and building ecosystem partnerships. As Senior Director for Modern Workplace, she led cloud adoption for Office 365, Windows, and Security across enterprise and public sector customers. Earlier, as Director for Education, she developed skill-building initiatives with government agencies and education institutions.

What’s Next

Anthropic’s Bengaluru office opening timeline remains unannounced, though the company confirmed preparations are underway. The India team will focus on three priority areas: strengthening developer engagement, building enterprise and organizational partnerships, and working with policymakers and academic institutions.

The competitive dynamic will likely intensify through 2026 as enterprises shift from AI pilots to production. With 87% of Indian enterprises actively using AI solutions according to the NASSCOM AI Adoption Index, the race centers on capturing recurring enterprise revenue rather than consumer adoption.

India’s potential $1.7 trillion GDP impact from AI by 2035 positions the market as a proving ground for scaled deployment. Ghose’s mandate includes ensuring Anthropic’s approach remains “grounded in local insight and aligned with our mission” as Claude expands across India’s diverse languages and communities.

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