OpenAI has named Prabhjeet Singh as its first managing director for India, a move aimed at scaling up the company's operations in what it considers its second-largest market after the United States.
According to TechCrunch, Singh previously led Uber's business as president for India and South Asia, and his appointment marks "yet another big, visible bet on India" by the maker of ChatGPT. The hire is intended to help OpenAI grow its presence on the ground in the country.
Singh brings both industry and academic credentials to the role. As MSN reports, he is an alumnus of the IITs and IIMs — India's most prestigious engineering and management institutions — and is described as an Uber veteran with a strong leadership background.
The appointment fits a broader pattern of global technology firms competing for users and talent in India, one of the world's largest and fastest-growing internet markets. By installing a dedicated, locally experienced leader rather than running the market remotely, OpenAI signals it wants deeper roots there: building partnerships, navigating local regulation, and tailoring its products to Indian users and businesses.
Why it matters: India is shaping up to be a key battleground in the global race to dominate consumer and enterprise AI, and OpenAI's decision to plant a senior, homegrown executive there shows how high the stakes have become for whoever controls the next wave of AI adoption.