OpenAI alumnus Shyamal Anadkat returns to India, teases AI venture

Former OpenAI executive Shyamal Hitesh Anadkat has returned to India after nearly four years at the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence (AI) company, and indicated he plans to build a new venture and recruit talent across the region.

In a post on X, Anadkat mentioned he had moved from the Bay Area to India earlier this year and has spent recent weeks meeting researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs across India and the Asia-Pacific region.

“It's become clear that there are many who want to build the future from here,” he wrote, adding that what has often been missing is the belief that globally significant institutions can be built outside traditional technology hubs.


While Anadkat did not disclose details about the venture, his comments point towards a broader ambition around building AI capabilities from India at a time when competition for talent and investment in the sector is growing globally.

The move comes as India's AI ecosystem gains momentum, fuelled by rising enterprise adoption, investor interest, and government-backed efforts to strengthen domestic capabilities. The country is increasingly being viewed as a key market for AI development, with global firms expanding their presence and local startups attracting significant capital.

Anadkat's remarks reflect a growing shift in how founders and researchers view the region in the AI race, as a place to build globally competitive companies outside of Silicon Valley.

The former OpenAI executive also described the current AI wave as a once-in-a-generation opportunity and indicated that more details about his plans would be disclosed soon.