OpenAI Appoints Former Uber India Chief Prabhjeet Singh to Lead India Operations

OpenAI has announced the appointment of Prabhjeet Singh, previously the president of Uber India and South Asia, as its first managing director for India. This strategic hire underscores OpenAI’s commitment to expanding its presence in India, which it identifies as its second-largest market after the United States. Singh will officially join OpenAI in September, reporting to Kiran Mani, the company’s managing director for Asia Pacific.

In his new role, Singh will be responsible for overseeing OpenAI’s operations and growth in India. His mandate includes driving consumer adoption, fostering enterprise partnerships, navigating regulatory engagement, and managing overall operational performance within the country. This appointment is a significant step in OpenAI’s broader investment strategy for the Indian market.

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Key facts

Aspect	Detail
Appointee	Prabhjeet Singh
New Role	Managing Director, India
Previous Role	President, Uber India and South Asia
Joining Date	September 2026

OpenAI’s intensified focus on India began with the establishment of its first office in New Delhi last August. The company further solidified its plans by announcing new offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru earlier this year. In 2024, OpenAI hired Pragya Misra, formerly of Truecaller and Meta, to lead public policy and partnerships, a role that was later expanded to head of strategy and global affairs. Additionally, former Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly served as a senior adviser, assisting with engagement on AI policy with the Indian government.

Over recent months, OpenAI has forged numerous partnerships across India, spanning higher education, enterprise payments, AI-powered commerce, and web streaming. The company is also actively participating in India’s expanding data center infrastructure. The rapid adoption of ChatGPT in India has been a key indicator for OpenAI regarding the market’s importance. Notable Indian conglomerates like Reliance and Tata Group are among its early partners in the region.

Contexto

The company has also been ramping up its recruitment efforts in India, with vacancies for roles such as AI deployment engineers, developer experience engineers, a developer marketing lead, a partner director, and solutions engineers. India’s vast developer community, a large internet user base exceeding a billion, and surging demand for generative AI have positioned it as a critical battleground for U.S. AI companies. Rival Anthropic also opened its India office in Bengaluru in late 2025, appointing former Microsoft India managing director Irina Ghose as its India head.

This development is crucial for Coruja’s Indian readers as it signifies the deepening integration of global AI leaders into the local ecosystem. OpenAI’s direct investment in leadership and infrastructure in India is likely to accelerate the availability and customization of advanced AI tools for Indian businesses and consumers. It also highlights India’s growing importance as both a market and a talent hub for artificial intelligence, potentially leading to more localized AI innovations and career opportunities within the sector.

Source: TechCrunch AI – https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/26/openai-poaches-uber-india-chief-to-lead-its-biggest-market-outside-the-u-s/