June 22, 2026, (Inside AI) — Shyamal Anadkat, a former OpenAI researcher, has relocated from Silicon Valley to India after nearly four years at the AI giant. He left OpenAI earlier this year and now engages with researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs across India and the Asia-Pacific region.
Anadkat led OpenAI's Applied Evals team, focusing on AI system safety and performance during a period of rapid generative AI advancement. His move challenges the notion that cutting-edge AI work requires a Silicon Valley address.
In a post on X, Anadkat wrote: "After close to four years at OpenAI, I moved from the Bay Area to India earlier this year. I still believe deeply in ensuring true superintelligence accelerates science and remains accessible and beneficial to all."
Anadkat's Indian roots kept him connected to the local tech scene. Since returning, he has spent weeks talking to innovators and found a growing desire to build AI's future from within the region.
He noted: "Over the past several weeks, I've been speaking with researchers, engineers, and thinkers across India and APAC. It's become clear that there are many who want to build the future from here."
He admitted that leaving Silicon Valley might seem counterintuitive for an AI researcher. Yet he now rejects that view. "Moving back felt like the counterintuitive choice. I no longer think that's true," he wrote.
Anadkat identified a core barrier for India's AI ecosystem: not talent or opportunity, but belief. "What's been missing is the belief that you can build institutions of global consequence from anywhere. And more importantly, the ambition and the will to pursue ideas that seem impossibly large at first," he stated.
He called this moment a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" for India to shape AI through long-term ambition. His post went viral, sparking debate. One user commented: "This is the right move, because India deserves to be the primary beneficiary of its intellectual capital. India is the future."
Another countered: "You can probably build from anywhere. But you can sell only from somewhere." Anadkat's journey echoes a small but growing reverse brain drain as AI talent explores hubs beyond traditional centers.
India's AI scene is expanding, with government initiatives and a surge in startups. Yet building globally influential institutions from scratch remains a steep climb. Anadkat's advocacy for ambition over geography could inspire others to take the leap.
