Anthropic’s India expansion collides with a local company that already had the name

As Anthropic expands into India, a local software company has filed a court complaint saying it was already using the name “Anthropic,” spotlighting how the rapid global push of AI firms can collide with local incumbents.

The filing comes amid Anthropic deepening its focus on India, announcing an India office last October and more recently appointing former Microsoft India managing director Irina Ghose to lead its operations in the country, underscoring the South Asian market’s growing importance to global AI companies expanding beyond the U.S. and Europe.

In a complaint filed in a commercial court in Karnataka in January, reviewed by TechCrunch, the Indian company Anthropic Software says it has used the name since 2017 and that Anthropic’s recent entry into India has led to customer confusion. The firm is seeking recognition of its prior use and relief to prevent further confusion, along with ₹10 million (about $110,000) in damages.

Anthropic Software founder and director Mohammadayyaz A. Mulla told TechCrunch that the Indian company was not seeking confrontation, but clarity and recognition of its prior use in India, adding that litigation was a fallback if clean coexistence could not be achieved.

“As of now, I am exercising my legal right as it’s causing huge confusion to my customers,” he said.

India, the world’s most populous nation and one of the fastest-growing internet markets, has become a key battleground for AI companies like Anthropic and its rival OpenAI. The country is also set to host an AI Impact Summit in New Delhi next week, where Anthropic co-founder and chief executive Dario Amodei is appearing alongside other industry leaders like Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, and Sundar Pichai.

A court order dated January 20 and seen by TechCrunch shows that the court has issued notice and suit summons to Anthropic. However, it declined to grant an interim injunction and listed the matter to return on February 16.

Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment.