Anthropic to Open First India Office in 2026 as AI Race Intensifies

Claude AI maker targets developers and startups in second-largest market, explores partnership with Reliance Industries.

Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind the popular Claude AI assistant, announced Tuesday its plans to establish its first India office in Bengaluru in early 2026, marking a significant expansion into the world's second-largest internet market as global AI companies intensify their competition for dominance in the region.

The announcement comes as CEO and co-founder Dario Amodei visits India this week to meet with government officials and corporate partners, including a potential partnership discussion with billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter reported by TechCrunch.

Strategic Expansion in Key Market

The Bengaluru office will serve as Anthropic's second location in the Asia-Pacific region after Tokyo, which is set to open in the coming months. The expansion reflects India's emergence as a crucial market for AI companies, with the country now representing Anthropic's second-largest consumer market globally.

"India is compelling because of 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, not just concentrated pockets," Amodei said in a statement. "There is deep alignment between the challenges India is tackling and our mission as a company, from deploying AI across diverse languages and contexts, to building frameworks for responsible governance."

Impressive Growth Metrics

India accounts for the second-highest share of traffic to Claude's website after the U.S., according to digital intelligence firm Similarweb. The Claude mobile app has shown remarkable growth in the Indian market, with downloads increasing 48% year-over-year to reach approximately 767,000 installs this year, according to Appfigures data. Consumer spending on the app in India surged an impressive 572% year-over-year, generating $195,000 in September alone.

According to the company's Economic Index report, India accounts for 7.2 percent of global Claude usage, with coding tasks making up more than half of all Claude usage in India, compared to roughly a third worldwide. This highlights the strong technical orientation of Indian users and the potential for growth in the developer community.

Partnership with Reliance Industries

During his India visit, Amodei is expected to visit Mumbai to meet Ambani and other senior executives at Reliance Industries, India's most valuable company and the parent of the nation's top telecom operator, Reliance Jio. Anthropic has been in discussions with Reliance for some time over a potential partnership to expand access to its Claude AI assistant in India, people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.

In August, Reliance Industries partnered with major technology companies, including its existing investors Google and Meta, to build AI infrastructure and enterprise solutions through its new unit, Reliance Intelligence. A partnership with Anthropic could further strengthen Reliance's position in India's rapidly evolving AI ecosystem.

Developer-First Approach

Unlike OpenAI, which aims to establish a sales and marketing setup while overseeing policy updates from New Delhi, Anthropic plans to target developers and startups with its office in Bengaluru. This strategic difference reflects Anthropic's focus on building from the ground up through the technical community.

Anthropic EMEA head Guillaume Princen and startups chief Daniel Delaney are accompanying Amodei during the visit. Prominent venture funds, including Accel and Lightspeed, are hosting dedicated sessions with Anthropic executives this week to share insights on how developers and startups can leverage Claude for their offerings.

Paul Smith, Anthropic's chief commercial officer, emphasized the timing of the expansion: "Our expansion comes at a pivotal moment when Indian enterprises and startups are seeking AI models they can trust." He added that companies need systems that deliver advanced performance while ensuring the safety and reliability necessary for large-scale business operations.

As India continues to emerge as a critical battleground for global AI companies, Anthropic's strategic entry with a developer-focused approach and potential corporate partnerships positions it well to compete in this rapidly growing market of nearly a billion internet users.