OpenAI poaches Uber India chief to lead its biggest market outside the US

2026-06-26 · Source: TechCrunch · Field: Business & Management — Corporate Strategy & Leadership, International Business & Trade · Depth: Fundamental Awareness, quick

Summary

OpenAI has appointed Prabhjeet Singh, former Uber India and South Asia president, as its first managing director for India, effective September. Singh will report to Kiran Mani, managing director for Asia Pacific, and oversee consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement, and operations in what OpenAI identifies as its second-largest market after the U.S. This appointment follows OpenAI's significant investments in India, including opening its first New Delhi office last August, with plans for Mumbai and Bengaluru offices. The company also hired Pragya Misra and Rishi Jaitly for policy and advisory roles. OpenAI has forged partnerships in higher education, enterprise payments, AI-powered commerce, and web streaming, and is involved in India's data center build-out, citing rapid ChatGPT adoption. India is a key battleground for U.S. AI companies, with rival Anthropic also establishing an office in Bengaluru in late 2025 and appointing Irina Ghose as its India head.

Key takeaway

For AI/ML Directors evaluating international expansion, OpenAI's strategy in India highlights the importance of dedicated local leadership and strategic partnerships. You should prioritize appointing a country-specific managing director to navigate consumer growth, enterprise adoption, and regulatory landscapes. Actively seek diverse local partnerships, from higher education to data centers, to embed your technology within the market's rapidly evolving AI ecosystem.

Key insights

OpenAI is aggressively expanding its presence in India, a critical market for global AI growth and competition.

Principles

• Strategic market entry requires local leadership.
• Partnerships drive ecosystem integration.
• Early regulatory engagement is crucial.

In practice

• Establish local MDs for key growth regions.
• Form alliances with diverse local sectors.
• Invest in regional data center infrastructure.

Topics

• OpenAI India
• Market Expansion
• AI Policy
• Strategic Partnerships
• Generative AI
• Data Centers

Best for: Investor, CTO, VP of Engineering/Data, Director of AI/ML, Executive, Tech Journalist

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by TechCrunch.