Demand for AI tools and solutions has surged in India -- projected to have more than 900 million internet users by year's end -- driven by growing adoption by both businesses and individuals.

Anthropic, which said India ranks "second globally in consumer usage" of its chatbot Claude, added that its planned office in tech hub Bengaluru would support the country's "rapidly growing AI ecosystem".

"India is compelling because of the scale of its technical talent and the commitment from the Indian government to ensure the benefits of artificial intelligence reach all areas of society, not just concentrated pockets," chief executive Dario Amodei, who is in India this week, said in a statement.

Anthropic's move follows a flurry of announcements by other top AI firms looking to court Indian users.

OpenAI has said it will open an India office later this year, with its chief Sam Altman noting that ChatGPT usage in the country had grown fourfold over the past year.

In August, the company launched a subscription plan for 399 rupees ($4.50) a month, a price targeted at students and young developers.

ChatGPT head Nick Turley said on X that making the service "more affordable" had been a "key ask" from users.

AI firm Perplexity also announced a major partnership in July with Indian telecom giant Airtel, offering the company's 360 million customers a free one-year Perplexity Pro subscription.

Anthropic is valued at $183 billion, while OpenAI's valuation has reportedly soared after a private share sale to $500 billion, which would make it the world's most valuable startup.

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