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OpenAI names Uber India chief as first managing director for key market

TechCrunch AI20h ago5 min read
OpenAI names Uber India chief as first managing director for key market

Key takeaway

OpenAI has appointed Prabhjeet Singh, a former Uber India executive, as its first managing director for India, underscoring the company's push to scale operations in what it calls its second-largest market outside the United States. Singh will oversee growth, enterprise partnerships, and regulatory work as OpenAI expands through new offices in major Indian cities and deepens ties with local conglomerates. The move reflects intense competition among U.S. AI companies for India's developer talent and over a billion internet users.

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3 Key Points

  • What happened

    OpenAI appointed Prabhjeet Singh, former president of Uber India and South Asia, as its first managing director for India, effective September. Singh will report to the company's Asia Pacific managing director and oversee consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement, and operations in the country.

  • Why it matters

    OpenAI has identified India as its second-largest market after the U.S., and this hire signals serious commitment to scaling there. The appointment follows the opening of its New Delhi office last August and planned offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru, alongside partnerships with Indian conglomerates Reliance and Tata Group. India's vast developer base, more than a billion internet users, and rising demand for generative AI make it a key battleground for U.S. AI companies.

  • What to watch

    OpenAI is actively hiring across multiple roles in India—including AI deployment engineers, developer experience engineers, and solutions engineers. Rival Anthropic has similarly expanded in the market, naming former Microsoft India managing director Irina Ghose as its India head after opening its Bengaluru office in late 2025.

FAQ

When does Prabhjeet Singh start at OpenAI?
Singh will join OpenAI in September and report to Kiran Mani, the company's managing director for Asia Pacific.
What other executives has OpenAI appointed in India?
In 2024, OpenAI hired Pragya Misra, a former Truecaller and Meta executive, to lead public policy and partnerships before expanding her role to head of strategy and global affairs last year. The company also brought on Rishi Jaitly, former Twitter India head, as a senior adviser to help establish engagement with the Indian government on AI policy.
Which Indian companies has OpenAI partnered with?
Indian conglomerates Reliance and Tata Group are among OpenAI's early partners. The company has also struck partnerships spanning higher education, enterprise payments, AI-powered commerce, and web streaming, and is part of India's growing data center build-out.

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