Anthropic Expands Footprint in India with Bengaluru Office and Reliance Partnership Talks
Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei is currently in India to establish a new office in Bengaluru and explore a strategic partnership with Reliance Industries, one of India’s largest conglomerates headed by billionaire Mukesh Ambani. This development highlights Anthropic’s intent to strengthen its position in India, its second-largest market after the United States.Potential Collaboration with Reliance Industries
Amodei is slated to meet with Mukesh Ambani and senior executives at Reliance Industries in Mumbai. The discussions focus on expanding the reach of Anthropic’s Claude AI assistant across India. Sources familiar with the talks confirmed that negotiations have been ongoing, aiming to leverage Reliance’s extensive telecom network via Reliance Jio. Reliance Industries has recently made significant investments in AI through its subsidiary Reliance Intelligence, partnering with global technology giants such as Google and Meta. The conglomerate has also explored collaborations with OpenAI, which launched a budget-friendly ChatGPT subscription in India earlier this year and plans to open an office in New Delhi by late 2025.India: A Key Growth Market for Anthropic
India’s vast internet user base, exceeding one billion subscribers, makes it a critical market for AI companies. Anthropic’s Claude AI assistant has gained substantial traction, with India ranking second globally in website traffic after the U.S., according to digital analytics firm Similarweb. In September, Claude’s app downloads in India surged by 48% year-over-year, reaching approximately 767,000 installs. Consumer spending on the app in India also rose sharply by 572% year-over-year to $195,000 in the same month, data from Appfigures indicates. Despite this growth, India’s figures remain modest compared to the U.S., where downloads increased by 91% year-over-year and consumer expenditure on Claude hit $2.5 million in September alone.Anthropic’s Focus on Developers and Startups
Unlike OpenAI, which is building a sales and marketing presence and engaging with policymakers in New Delhi, Anthropic is concentrating on nurturing India’s developer and startup ecosystems through its Bengaluru office. This approach could accelerate the integration of Claude AI into local and international applications developed by Indian entrepreneurs. Anthropic’s executive team, including EMEA head Guillaume Princen and startups chief Daniel Delaney, is actively engaging with prominent venture capital firms such as Accel and Lightspeed to facilitate knowledge-sharing sessions for developers.Competitive Dynamics in India’s AI Sector
Alongside Anthropic and OpenAI, other AI companies like Perplexity are targeting the Indian market. Perplexity has partnered with Bharti Airtel to offer its AI subscription services to over 360 million customers and is tailoring its products with localized features, including live earnings call transcripts for Indian stocks.FinOracleAI — Market View
Anthropic’s expansion into India represents a strategic move to capitalize on one of the fastest-growing AI markets globally. Partnering with Reliance Industries could provide critical infrastructure and market access, positioning Claude AI for accelerated adoption.- Opportunities: Access to India’s vast and growing digital user base; collaboration with Reliance’s extensive telecom ecosystem; tapping into a vibrant developer and startup community.
- Risks: Intense competition from established players like OpenAI; regulatory challenges in India’s evolving AI policy environment; potential delays in partnership finalization.
Impact: Anthropic’s India expansion is expected to bolster its global footprint and revenue potential, reinforcing its position in the competitive AI landscape.
