In a significant strategic move underscoring India's growing importance in the global technology landscape, artificial intelligence giant Anthropic has announced plans to establish an office in Bengaluru. This development, coupled with a high-profile visit to the country by co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei, signals a major push by the San Francisco-based AI safety and research company to deepen its engagement with the world's second-largest internet market.[1] The new office, slated to open in early 2026, will be Anthropic's first in India and its second in the Asia-Pacific region, following the announcement of a forthcoming Tokyo location.[2][3] This expansion into India is a clear declaration of the company's intent to compete for talent, enterprise clients, and market share in a region rapidly becoming a critical battleground for AI supremacy.[1][4] Amodei's visit is aimed at formalizing these expansion plans, meeting with government officials and key enterprise partners to lay the groundwork for a significant local presence.[5][2]

The decision to expand into India is rooted in compelling market data and strategic alignment. India has already become Anthropic's second-largest market for its AI model, Claude, trailing only the United States in consumer usage.[2][6] The country accounts for 7.2% of Claude's global usage, a figure that highlights a strong existing user base even before a dedicated local presence has been established.[7][8] More specifically, a disproportionately high share of this activity involves technical and programming-related tasks, such as mobile UI development and web app debugging, which points to the sophistication of the Indian user base.[7][2] Over half of all Claude activity in India is for coding, compared to a global average of about one-third.[8][9] In a statement, Amodei highlighted the strategic appeal of the nation, citing "the scale of its technical talent and the commitment from the Indian government to ensure the benefits of artificial intelligence reach all areas of society."[2][3] He further noted a "deep alignment" between the challenges India is tackling and Anthropic's mission, from deploying AI across diverse languages to establishing frameworks for responsible governance.[3]

Anthropic's strategy for India extends beyond simply establishing a physical office; it involves building a holistic business operation deeply integrated into the local ecosystem.[7] The choice of Bengaluru, India's primary technology hub, was deliberate, selected for its dense talent pool and proximity to the country's vibrant enterprise and startup landscape.[3] The company has confirmed it will hire an in-market team to focus on developing AI solutions for unique local use cases and is actively seeking a country lead to spearhead these operations.[3][10] Hiring will also span support functions like finance and sales.[7] A key focus of the India operation will be the deployment of AI for social impact, with stated goals of supporting key industries and partnering with enterprises, nonprofits, and startups in sectors like education, healthcare, and agriculture.[2][11] Recognizing the linguistic diversity of the nation, Anthropic is also investing heavily in enhancing Claude's capabilities in numerous Indic languages, including Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi, to broaden accessibility for the vast majority of non-English speakers.[7][11]

CEO Dario Amodei's visit is a clear signal of the company's high-level commitment, representing a coordinated diplomatic and business offensive.[1] His agenda reportedly includes meetings with senior government officials and lawmakers in New Delhi, with the possibility of a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the company's long-term vision and potential collaboration on AI governance.[5][1][12] This top-level engagement follows a preparatory visit by Anthropic's head of global affairs, demonstrating a concerted effort to build strong governmental relationships.[1] On the commercial front, Amodei is expected to meet with leaders from across the startup ecosystem and major corporations.[1] Reports have surfaced about ongoing discussions with Reliance Industries, the conglomerate led by Mukesh Ambani, exploring a potential partnership to expand access to Claude AI in the country.[9][12][13] Amodei's charm offensive is aimed squarely at India's prized developer community, with events and workshops planned to showcase Anthropic's most advanced models.[1]

This expansion places Anthropic directly in an increasingly competitive AI landscape in India.[1] Its chief rival, OpenAI, has also formalized its presence in the country and is planning to open an office in New Delhi.[4][6] Other global tech giants like Google with its Gemini model and AI startups such as Perplexity are also investing heavily and making aggressive plays to capture the Indian market.[4][6] Anthropic's push is backed by formidable financial power, following a recent $13 billion funding round that valued the company at $183 billion.[8][9] This capital is fueling an ambitious global growth strategy, which includes plans to triple its international workforce.[8][10] By establishing a firm foothold in Bengaluru, Anthropic is not just tapping into a key market; it is positioning itself to leverage India's vast talent pool to drive its global research and development efforts.[10] The move is a testament to the country's evolution from a back-office support center to a central hub for technological innovation and a critical arena where the future of artificial intelligence will be shaped.[11]