OpenAI has appointed Prabhjeet Singh, former president of Uber India and South Asia, as its first managing director for the country to lead operations in its second-largest market after the United States. Singh will join the company in September and report to Kiran Mani, managing director for Asia Pacific. His remit covers consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement, and local operations. This move follows a series of strategic hires and infrastructure investments, including the opening of an office in New Delhi last August and plans for new locations in Mumbai and Bengaluru. Previous appointments include Pragya Misra, who heads strategy and global affairs, and Rishi Jaitly, a senior adviser on government policy. The company has also secured partnerships with Reliance and the Tata Group while expanding its data centre footprint. Competitors like Anthropic have established similar presences, with Irina Ghose leading their India office. Recruitment drives are active for roles ranging from AI deployment engineers to solutions engineers.
The appointment signals a shift from initial market testing to structured commercial execution. Singh brings specific experience in scaling complex operations across South Asia, a region where regulatory complexity and diverse consumer habits require localised management strategies. His background in managing Uber’s regional challenges suggests a focus on practical implementation rather than high-level strategy alone. This transition indicates OpenAI intends to move beyond pilot programmes and integrate deeply into Indian digital infrastructure. The company aims to capitalise on the nation’s large developer base and surging demand for generative AI services.
- OpenAI plans to open offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru.
- Reliance and Tata Group are among the earliest corporate partners.
- Recruitment focuses on AI deployment and solutions engineering roles.
