Anthropic Introduces Local Pricing for Claude AI in India

Anthropic has announced the localisation of pricing for its artificial intelligence service, Claude, in India, marking the country as its largest market outside the United States. This development comes as global AI companies increasingly aim to attract users in India, the world's most populous nation.

The new pricing structure has started to appear for certain users in India through Claude's website and mobile applications. However, the company has not yet integrated payment options through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a popular instant payments network in India. Users are currently required to make payments via credit or debit cards or through billing systems provided by Apple's and Google’s app stores.

This rollout follows the introduction of Indian rupee pricing for ChatGPT by competitor OpenAI in August, which included UPI support. Customers in India had long expressed the need for subscriptions priced in rupees, as the former dollar pricing necessitated currency conversion, creating barriers to accessing the service.

India accounts for approximately 5.8% of global usage of Claude, positioning it as the service's second-largest market after the U.S., as stated by Anthropic. The company lists Claude Pro for ₹2,000 (about $21) per month when billed annually, in contrast to $17 per month in the U.S. Additionally, Claude Max pricing starts at ₹11,999 (around $125) per month in India, compared to $100 in the U.S. Team plans are priced at ₹2,399 (around $25) per seat monthly, while the equivalent in the U.S. is $20.

The prices mentioned include local taxes, although there are minor variations in costs between Claude’s mobile app and its website.

This pricing strategy is significant as it coincides with Anthropic's expansion efforts in India. The company established an office in Bengaluru in February, and in January, it appointed Irina Ghose, former Managing Director at Microsoft India, to lead its operations in the country. Furthermore, Anthropic has collaborated with prominent Indian IT firms, including Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services, to enhance its enterprise AI offerings.

However, Anthropic faced challenges earlier this year when it suspended access to its models Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for non-U.S. users, prompting concerns among Indian developers and startup founders about their future use of American AI models. Access to Fable 5 has since been restored, but limitations on Mythos 5 remain.

Despite the growing demand for AI technologies, converting this interest into paid subscriptions presents challenges in the cost-sensitive Indian market. As of now, Anthropic has not responded to inquiries regarding the recently introduced pricing in Indian rupees.