Meet the first employee to be hired in OpenAI India team: All you need to know about Pragya Misra

OpenAI, the organization behind the development of ChatGPT, has appointed Pragya Misra as its first employee in India. Misra, who is 39 years old, has been recruited to lead public policy affairs and partnerships. This strategic hire highlights OpenAI’s efforts to advocate for favorable regulations as governments worldwide grapple with the task of regulating rapidly advancing technology.

Past work experience

Misra brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles at Truecaller AB and Meta Platforms Inc. Since July 2021, she has been serving as the Director of Public Affairs for Truecaller, where she liaised with government ministries, key stakeholders, investors, and media partners. Before that, she spearheaded WhatsApp’s campaign against misinformation in 2018 and held positions at Ernst & Young and the Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi.

Education

Misra completed her MBA from the International Management Institute in 2012 and is a commerce graduate from Delhi University. She also holds a Diploma in Bargaining and Negotiations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Other interests

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Misra is an avid golfer who represented India at several international tournaments between 1998 and 2007. She is also a Heartfulness Meditation Trainer and hosts the Pragyaan Podcast. 

OpenAI’s decision to hire Misra is seen as a strategic move to bolster its presence in India’s tech market, where it faces competition from Google’s AI model. Misra is expected to commence her duties at OpenAI by the end of this month.

This appointment comes at a time when OpenAI is looking to expand in India’s tech market. With Misra leading public policy affairs and partnerships, OpenAI is expected to expand its list of employees in India in the coming months.