Meet Prabhjeet Singh, the Uber veteran, now set to lead OpenAI’s big India push

OpenAI has appointed former Uber India President Prabhjeet Singh as its Managing Director for India. Joining in September, Singh will lead consumer growth, enterprise adoption, and regulatory engagement, steering the artificial intelligence giant's expanding operations and ecosystem partnerships

New Delhi: From steering Uber’s ride-hailing business across India and South Asia to powering OpenAI’s big, bold bets in one of the fastest-growing AI markets, Prabhjeet Singh is stepping into one of the most closely-watched leadership roles in India’s artificial intelligence ecosystem.

Sam Altman-led OpenAI on Friday named Singh as its Managing Director for India, making him the company’s top executive in the country as it deepens investments and doubles down on the India gameplan.

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Singh will be OpenAI’s “most senior leader” in India, with responsibility for performance across consumer growth, enterprise adoption and partnerships, regulatory engagement, and operations, the company said.

His focus will include building partnerships and supporting India’s wider AI ecosystem, while helping more consumers, businesses, institutions and government bodies benefit from AI, as per OpenAI.

Singh will report to Kiran Mani, Managing Director for Asia Pacific, and is slated to join OpenAI in September.

Leading OpenAI’s India push:

Singh’s appointment comes as OpenAI moves its India strategy to the top gear through partnerships with enterprises and developers, while strengthening engagement with policymakers. The company opened its first office in New Delhi in November 2025.

Altman, himself, has repeatedly described India as one of OpenAI’s key markets and has praised the country’s rapid AI uptake and commitment to investing across the tech stack.

One of the most prominent faces in the global digital industry, Altman, had recently also signalled a major vote of confidence in India during the AI Summit in February this year when he lauded the speed of tech adoption in the country.

“What’s happening in India with AI is really quite amazing”, Altman had said. He praised India’s current “conviction” to invest across the entire AI stack, and indicated that India’s tech ecosystem is on the verge of a massive, AI-driven entrepreneurial explosion.

Driving Uber’s India growth for over a decade:

Singh joins OpenAI after an 11-year stint at Uber – the last six years as President for India and South Asia at the ride-hailing platform. He led the company’s mobility business across India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, steering its expansion in one of the world’s fastest-growing ride-hailing markets.

Singh joined Uber in August 2015; he rose through the ranks and was appointed President for India and South Asia in 2020.

Uber, which entered India in 2013 with an app-based ride-hailing service, now operates in more than 125 cities, offering bikes, autos, cars and metro bookings through a single platform used by millions daily.

Last month, Uber’s global Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi visited India, meeting ministers and company executives while reaffirming the company’s long-term commitment to the country. Khosrowshahi also announced plans to establish Uber’s first India data centre in partnership with the Adani Group.

On Friday, Uber confirmed Singh’s departure, saying he was leaving for another leadership opportunity. The company thanked him for his decade-long contribution and said it remained committed to its next phase of growth in India.

Education and early career:

An alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and IIM Ahmedabad, Singh joined Uber from McKinsey & Company, where he was an Associate Partner. He was honoured with IIM Ahmedabad’s Young Alumni Achiever’s Award in 2022 for his outstanding contributions to corporate leadership.

The AI assignment – Why Singh’s appointment matters:

Singh’s move comes at a time when global AI companies are stepping up investments in India, drawn by the country’s large developer base, rapidly growing user adoption and rising enterprise demand for artificial intelligence. Experts believe that Singh’s experience in building and scaling technology businesses here can play a key role in shaping OpenAI’s next chapter of growth in this buzzing market.