Kamal Ghorui
Anthropic – it’s a name that has taken the technology world by storm globally – and its impact on Indian IT stocks has been significant. Anthropic – now valued at around $380 billion – has quickly emerged as a dominant force in the global technology landscape.What stands out even more is the pace at which the company has grown. Founded in 2021, Anthropic is only about five years old but has already established itself as one of the most highly valued players in the artificial intelligence sector. This comes at a time of artificial intelligence’s dramatic growth and its increasing capacity to automate substantial portions of the IT services industry. Anthropic’s valuation now exceeds the combined market capitalization of India’s publicly listed IT firms. By comparison, major companies such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra together are worth roughly $240 billion, according to an ET report.In February 2026, the company secured $30 billion in its latest funding round, pushing the valuation of the Claude chatbot developer to $380 billion – more than double its previous level – and highlighting strong investor enthusiasm for both the firm and the broader AI space.Anthropic describes itself as an artificial intelligence research and safety-focused organisation dedicated to developing AI systems that are dependable, transparent and controllable. One of its distinguishing strengths has been its focus on coding-oriented models. Its Claude Code tools have attracted significant interest from software developers, helping the company gain momentum in the rapidly expanding enterprise AI segment.The swift advancement of artificial intelligence – particularly Anthropic’s recent innovations – has unsettled Indian technology stocks. The impact has been sharp, with the Nifty IT index dropping about 21% in February, marking its steepest monthly fall since the global financial crisis of 2008.Selling pressure on IT stocks had begun mounting earlier in the month after Anthropic introduced a new artificial intelligence tool aimed at automating a broad range of professional activities. The launch revived worries that advances in AI could gradually erode the profit margins and long-established advantages enjoyed by traditional IT services firms.The company behind the Claude chatbot said the new system is capable of handling multiple legal-related tasks, including reviewing contracts, sorting non-disclosure agreements, managing compliance processes, preparing legal briefs and generating standardised replies. Investors have become increasingly concerned that artificial intelligence could significantly alter the competitive dynamics of the software and IT services sector, potentially undermining both profitability and market standing.Sectors that were previously viewed as relatively protected from AI disruption – such as legal work, data analysis and customer support — are now drawing closer scrutiny. If automation spreads across these areas, the extensive IT services ecosystem built around delivering such functions could come under pressure. Backed by Google and Amazon, Anthropic has rapidly expanded its business, stating that its annualised revenue run rate has reached $14 billion.Revenue on a run-rate basis from Claude Code alone has risen to more than $2.5 billion, more than doubling since the start of 2026. The company said business subscriptions for Claude Code have increased fourfold since the beginning of the year, with enterprise customers now contributing more than half of the product’s total revenue.Anthropic has also intensified its focus on corporate clients with products such as the Claude Cowork AI agent, which is designed to perform computer-based tasks typically handled by white-collar employees.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)
