AI use in India is focused in states with high levels of technology: Elizabeth Kelly, an anthropology executive

India Ranks Second Globally in Claude Usage but Per Capita Adoption Remains Low: Anthropic Executive

India ranks second globally in overall usage of Claude, the AI assistant developed by Anthropic, but its per capita adoption remains relatively low and concentrated in a few technology-driven regions, a senior company executive said at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

Speaking at a panel discussion on “AI in Work: Humans, AI or Both?”, Elizabeth Kelly, head of beneficial deployments at the AI firm, said AI usage in India is clustered in tech-heavy states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Delhi.

“India ranks second globally in overall Claude usage. However, per capita, it ranks 101st out of 116 countries. Usage is concentrated in tech-heavy states — similar to early mobile internet adoption,” Kelly said.

She noted that while AI presents major opportunities across sectors, the key challenge is ensuring that benefits are broadly shared rather than restricted to digitally advanced regions and user groups. According to her, AI can help improve health outcomes, reduce education gaps, accelerate life sciences research, and support responsible workforce transitions — but only if access and AI fluency widen.

“Benefits will only be widely shared if AI fluency and access extends beyond a narrow segment. If adoption remains concentrated, gains will be as well,” she said.

The panel also examined how AI tools are being deployed in education to improve teacher productivity by reducing administrative burdens and enabling more time for instruction and student support.

Also participating in the discussion were Shankar Maruwada, cofounder and CEO of EkStep Foundation, and Becky Faith, senior research fellow at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London.

Maruwada said AI can help remove long-standing barriers related to language, access, and device constraints. “When these frictions disappear, progress depends largely on individual motivation,” he said.

Addressing concerns that AI-driven automation may reduce hiring, he added that widespread job replacement is unlikely in India in the near term, especially among small businesses that lack the capital for heavy automation investments. “I don’t see that happening in India for the next 10–15 years, especially for small businesses,” he said.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026, hosted by the union government from February 16–20, has drawn global technology and policy leaders including Bill Gates, Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman, and Dario Amodei, alongside policymakers and industry executives.