OpenAI has appointed Prabhjeet Singh as Managing Director for India, marking the company's first senior leadership appointment dedicated to the country as it expands its presence in one of the world's fastest-growing artificial intelligence markets.
Singh, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, will lead OpenAI's commercial strategy, partnerships, policy engagement and market expansion in India. He is expected to assume the role later this year after completing his tenure at Uber.
The appointment comes as OpenAI increases its focus on India, where ChatGPT has emerged as one of the platform's largest user markets. The company has been actively engaging with enterprises, developers, startups and policymakers as AI adoption accelerates across sectors including financial services, education, healthcare, software development and customer experience.
Before joining OpenAI, Singh served as President of Uber India and South Asia, where he oversaw the company's mobility business across one of its largest international markets. During his tenure, Uber expanded its ride-hailing operations, strengthened partnerships with governments and introduced new mobility offerings. He has also held leadership positions at fintech company Paytm and consumer goods major Hindustan Unilever, bringing experience across technology, digital payments and consumer businesses.
OpenAI said Singh's appointment reflects its long-term commitment to India as demand for generative AI solutions continues to rise. The company has been expanding relationships with businesses, educational institutions and developers while working with government stakeholders on the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence technologies.
India has become an increasingly important market for OpenAI as enterprises move beyond experimentation and begin deploying AI across business operations. Organisations are using large language models for customer service, software engineering, marketing, research, workflow automation and content creation. This has created growing demand for enterprise AI platforms, local partnerships and implementation support.
The leadership appointment also follows several recent OpenAI initiatives in India, including collaborations with technology companies and increased engagement with developers through APIs and enterprise offerings. Industry analysts expect India to play a significant role in OpenAI's international growth strategy because of its large digital economy, deep software talent pool and rapidly expanding startup ecosystem.
Singh's background in scaling technology businesses is expected to support OpenAI's efforts to deepen enterprise adoption. His experience managing large operations and navigating India's regulatory and business environment could also help the company strengthen relationships with public and private sector organisations.
OpenAI has not disclosed specific plans for expanding its India operations under Singh's leadership. However, the company has consistently highlighted India as a priority market for AI innovation, developer adoption and responsible deployment. Earlier this year, OpenAI executives reiterated their intention to work closely with Indian businesses and institutions to accelerate AI adoption while supporting local innovation.
The appointment comes as global AI companies intensify their investments in India. Technology firms including Microsoft, Google, Anthropic and Nvidia have announced partnerships, infrastructure investments and AI initiatives across the country, reflecting India's growing importance in the global AI landscape.
For OpenAI, establishing dedicated leadership in India signals a shift from serving the market primarily through global operations to building a stronger local presence. As enterprises increasingly seek strategic AI partners rather than standalone technology providers, local leadership is expected to play a key role in driving adoption and long-term customer engagement.
Singh's appointment also underscores the increasing convergence of technology leadership and artificial intelligence strategy. As businesses accelerate AI implementation across industries, executives with experience in scaling digital platforms are becoming central to the next phase of enterprise AI adoption, positioning India as a critical market in OpenAI's global expansion plans.