Anthropic has begun introducing localized pricing for Claude in India, its largest market outside the United States. This move reflects a broader trend among global AI companies to tailor their offerings for the world's most populous nation in order to attract more users. Localized pricing has started appearing for some Indian users on Claude’s website and mobile apps. However, Anthropic has not yet integrated payments through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India’s widely adopted instant payment system. Users must still pay via credit card or through Apple and Google’s app store billing. This contrasts with OpenAI, which introduced Indian rupee pricing for ChatGPT in August along with UPI support.

Indian Claude users have long requested rupee-based subscriptions, as dollar pricing and currency conversion fees create barriers to accessing the service. This development is especially notable because India accounts for 5.8% of global Claude usage, making it the platform’s second-largest market after the United States, according to Anthropic. On Claude’s Indian website, the company lists Claude Pro at ₹2,000 (approximately $21) per month when billed annually, compared to $17 per month in the U.S. Claude Max starts at ₹11,999 (around $125) per month in India, versus $100 in the U.S., while Team plans begin at ₹2,399 (about $25) per seat per month, compared to $20 in the U.S. These Indian prices include local taxes. Additionally, pricing on Claude’s mobile apps varies slightly from what is shown on the website.

The introduction of Indian rupee pricing aligns with Anthropic’s increasing focus on India. The company opened an office in Bengaluru in February, following an announcement in October, and appointed former Microsoft India managing director Irina Ghose to lead its local operations in January. Anthropic has also partnered with Indian IT services giants Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services in recent months as it seeks to expand enterprise AI deployments. This expansion faced a hurdle in June when Anthropic abruptly suspended access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models for non-U.S. entities, prompting some Indian developers and startup founders to explore alternatives to American AI models. The restriction on Fable 5 has since been lifted, but access to Mythos 5 remains limited.

India has become an increasingly critical market for AI companies, driven by its large base of developers and technology professionals. However, converting widespread usage into paid subscriptions remains a challenge in this price-sensitive market. Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment regarding the rollout of Indian rupee pricing.