OpenAI poaches Uber India chief to lead its biggest market outside the U.S.

In a strategic move to bolster its operations in India, OpenAI has appointed Prabhjeet Singh, the former president of Uber India and South Asia, as its first managing director for the region. This appointment comes as OpenAI targets India as its second-largest market after the United States. Singh, who announced his departure from Uber on Friday, is set to join OpenAI in September. Reporting directly to Kiran Mani, the Asia-Pacific managing director, he will oversee OpenAI's initiatives in India, focusing on consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory matters, and operational strategies. This latest hire underscores OpenAI's commitment to expanding its presence in India, where it established its first office in New Delhi last August. The company has plans to open additional offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru, reflecting its ambition in the Indian market. Earlier this year, OpenAI expanded its team by bringing on Pragya Misra, a former executive from Truecaller and Meta, to lead public policy and partnerships. OpenAI has also engaged with Rishi Jaitly, the former head of Twitter India, as a senior adviser to facilitate discussions with the Indian government regarding AI policies. Recently, the company has forged partnerships across various sectors in India, including higher education, enterprise payments, AI-driven commerce, and web streaming, while also contributing to the country’s expanding data center infrastructure. The growing adoption of ChatGPT in India has highlighted the market's significance, with prominent Indian companies like Reliance and Tata Group among OpenAI's initial partners. To support its expansion, OpenAI is actively hiring in India, seeking professionals for roles such as AI deployment engineers, developer experience engineers, and solutions engineers. India has become a critical battleground for U.S. AI firms, fueled by its large developer community, a population exceeding a billion internet users, and a rising demand for generative AI technologies. Competitor Anthropic has also made strides in the region, opening an office in Bengaluru and appointing Irina Ghose, the former managing director of Microsoft India, as its country head earlier this year.