India's leadership footprint grows as OpenAI names Uber's Prabhjeet Singh India MD

OpenAI has appointed Prabhjeet Singh as its Managing Director for India, reinforcing the country's growing influence in the global technology leadership landscape while underlining the company's long-term commitment to one of its highest-priority markets.

The appointment, announced by OpenAI on June 26, places Singh as the company's most senior leader in India, responsible for driving consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement and operations. According to the company, he will assume the role in September and report to Kiran Mani, Managing Director for Asia Pacific (APAC).

A strategic leadership appointment

According to OpenAI, Singh's mandate extends beyond business growth and includes strengthening relationships across India's AI ecosystem.

His responsibilities will include:

• Driving consumer growth across India.
• Expanding enterprise AI adoption.
• Building strategic partnerships.
• Leading regulatory engagement.
• Overseeing operations in India.
• Supporting businesses, institutions, government bodies and developers in adopting AI technologies.

The appointment forms part of OpenAI's broader investment strategy in India, which the company has identified as one of its top-priority global markets.

From Uber to OpenAI

Before joining OpenAI, Prabhjeet Singh served as President of Uber India and South Asia, where he led the company's mobility business across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

He is an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and IIM Ahmedabad.

His move marks another example of senior Indian technology leaders transitioning into global AI leadership roles as international companies strengthen their presence in the country.

India becomes central to OpenAI's expansion plans

The appointment comes amid OpenAI's accelerating expansion in India.

Over the past year, the company has increased engagement with businesses, developers and policymakers as adoption of generative AI continues to rise across industries.

Key milestones in OpenAI's India strategy include:

• Opening its first office in New Delhi in November 2025.
• Expanding partnerships with enterprises and the developer community.
• Creating a dedicated India leadership role to support business growth and ecosystem development.

The company has repeatedly identified India as one of its fastest-growing markets for AI adoption.

Sam Altman's confidence in India's AI ecosystem

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has consistently highlighted India's importance in the company's global strategy.

Speaking at the India AI Summit earlier this year, Altman praised the pace of AI adoption across the country and described India's investment across the AI stack as a significant strength.

He also said OpenAI had been encouraged by the rapid adoption of AI tools by consumers and businesses, adding that the company planned to continue investing in the market.

Earlier, following the announcement of OpenAI's New Delhi office, Altman had also described AI adoption in India as "amazing" and reaffirmed the company's commitment to expanding its presence in the country.

Strengthening local leadership for a global AI market

The appointment reflects a broader trend among global technology companies to strengthen local leadership in markets where AI adoption is accelerating rapidly.

For OpenAI, creating a dedicated India leadership role signals a shift from market expansion to long-term execution. With enterprise demand, developer participation and public sector interest in AI continuing to grow, Singh will play a central role in shaping the company's next phase of growth in India.

New leaders, fresh capital, workforce shifts and unfiltered conversations — the story of work unfolds here.