OpenAI taps ex-Twitter head Rishi Jaitly for India entry

OpenAI is collaborating with Rishi Jaitly, former head of Twitter India, who is serving as a senior advisor to engage in discussions with the Indian government regarding AI policy, according to TechCrunch. Additionally, OpenAI is actively exploring the establishment of a local team in India. Sources revealed that Jaitly has been instrumental in guiding OpenAI through the intricacies of India's policy and regulatory landscape.
Although OpenAI currently lacks a presence in India, apart from a recently approved trademark, co-founder and CEO Sam Altman visited New Delhi in June, meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Despite the positive conversation, no formal announcements were made during Altman's two-day visit. While it remains unclear if Jaitly is formally employed by OpenAI, sources indicate that he assumed an advisory role after Altman's visit to New Delhi.
Rishi Jaitly brings a wealth of experience, having previously served as the head of the public-private partnership for Google in India and later becoming Twitter's first employee in the country. His subsequent role as VP for the APAC and MENA region at Twitter preceded his departure in late 2016. Jaitly then founded Times Bridge, the global investment arm of The Times Group, before departing in 2022.
OpenAI's Vice President of Global Affairs, Anna Makanju, is slated to speak at the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence summit in Delhi, where Jaitly played a role in facilitating her participation. The recent leadership changes at OpenAI, with Altman and board president Greg Brockman briefly leaving the company before returning with a revamped board, have added a dynamic element to the organization. During Altman's June visit, he addressed the challenge of building foundational models with a $10 million budget, expressing skepticism and emphasizing the significant funding OpenAI has secured, surpassing $11 billion to date.