Anthropic Eyes Bengaluru for India Debut, Explores AI Partnership with Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance

Anthropic, the San Francisco–based artificial intelligence research firm behind the popular Claude chatbot, is preparing to make its official entry into India. According to reports from TechCrunch, the company is planning to establish its first local office in Bengaluru, marking a major step in expanding its global footprint.

The company’s co-founder and CEO, Dario Amodei, is currently in India to finalize the groundwork for this new venture. During his visit, Amodei is expected to meet Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and senior executives in Mumbai to discuss a potential strategic partnership. The collaboration could pave the way for Claude to become more accessible across India through Reliance’s extensive digital ecosystem, including Jio platforms.

India’s growing importance in the global AI landscape appears to be a key motivator behind Anthropic’s expansion. With over a billion internet users, India ranks as the second-largest online market after China and contributes significantly to Claude’s global traffic — second only to the United States, according to data from Similarweb. Many Indian startups are already leveraging Anthropic’s models to develop AI-powered solutions for clients worldwide.

Amodei’s trip reportedly includes high-profile meetings in New Delhi with government officials and lawmakers. Sources familiar with the visit suggest he may also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signaling Anthropic’s intent to establish a long-term presence in India’s rapidly evolving AI ecosystem.

By the end of the week, Amodei is expected to travel to Bengaluru, where he will officially announce the launch of Anthropic’s India office on Thursday. Joining him will be Guillaume Princen, who leads Anthropic’s operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, along with Daniel Delaney, head of startup partnerships. The company’s leadership will also engage with venture capital firms such as Accel and Lightspeed, hosting sessions to explore how Indian startups and developers can integrate Claude into their products and services.

Unlike OpenAI, which has focused on consumer engagement by rolling out affordable ChatGPT plans and preparing for a New Delhi office, Anthropic’s Bengaluru presence will primarily target enterprise clients, developers, and startups. The company aims to strengthen its B2B ecosystem and enable Indian businesses to build advanced applications powered by the Claude AI models.

Meanwhile, Reliance Industries continues to ramp up its own AI initiatives. In August 2025, the conglomerate launched Reliance Intelligence, a dedicated unit aimed at building AI infrastructure and enterprise solutions. The division already collaborates with major global tech players like Google and Meta, both of which have longstanding ties with Reliance. Although the company explored a potential alliance with OpenAI earlier this year, those discussions did not advance after CEO Sam Altman postponed his India visit.

Anthropic’s expansion into India comes amid rising local adoption of Claude. According to analytics firm Appfigures, the Claude app recorded a 48% year-on-year growth in September, reaching nearly 767,000 downloads, highlighting India’s growing appetite for advanced AI tools.

As Amodei’s visit unfolds, all eyes are on Bengaluru — the heart of India’s tech innovation — where Anthropic is set to lay its foundation for a long-term AI partnership with one of the nation’s most influential business groups.