Bengaluru: Rahul Patil, an alumnus of PESIT Bengaluru, has been appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at the AI company Anthropic, joining a growing list of Indian-origin leaders heading globally influential tech firms. He succeeds co-founder Sam McCandlish, who will now take on the role of chief architect.
Career and academic journey
Patil graduated from PES University in 1998 as part of the 10th computer science batch. He went on to earn a master’s degree in computer science from Arizona State University and an MBA from the University of Washington.
He joins Anthropic from Stripe, where he served as CTO, overseeing engineering and global operations. Prior to Stripe, he was Senior Vice-President at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, leading the development of high-performance and globally distributed infrastructure-as-a-service technologies.
Patil also served on the ClearTax board through Stripe, contributing to the e-invoicing and tax platform’s expansion. ClearTax founder Archit Gupta praised him as “a strong partner on technology and AI” and highlighted his innovative approach, saying, “One of his best ideas on AI adoption was, ‘what are the first five actions a human does on their task, do that with AI.’”
Personal life and early influences
A native of Bengaluru, Patil grew up studying at Baldwin Boys’ School and St. Joseph’s PU College. His mother, Neelam Patil, who taught computer science at Bishop Cotton’s for over two decades, recalled, “It was his dream to work in the AI space, and he has achieved it. We are very proud of him.” His father, Dr. Vishwanath Patil, is a practising paediatrician.
Patil is married to his batchmate Aruna Patil, a former Microsoft employee. The couple lives in Seattle with their children, Yohan and Ishan. A cricket enthusiast, Patil often revisits Bengaluru and enjoys masala dosa at Chalukya, one of the city’s popular eateries.
Joining Anthropic and vision for AI
On joining Anthropic, Patil shared on LinkedIn:
“AI possibilities seem endless, and it is going to be an extraordinary adventure of discoveries and effort to make these possibilities real. More importantly, it is going to require us to make conscientious decisions every day to safely navigate this massive transformation and ensure that responsible AI wins. I am grateful to join the humble, brilliant, hardworking, and conscientious crew at Anthropic that has ignited much of the imagination and excitement around the world.”
Anthropic recently raised $13 billion, valuing the company at $183 billion, making it one of the most significant AI funding rounds globally.
Recognition and impact
Prof. Jawahar Doreswamy, chancellor of PES University, said, “We are thrilled with Rahul’s appointment as CTO of Anthropic. While such roles are often associated with IIT graduates, this proves that PES University, ranked 83, is producing talent capable of shaping cutting-edge technology globally.”
Patil’s appointment reflects the growing influence of Indian-origin leaders in AI and technology, reinforcing Bengaluru’s reputation as a hub for nurturing global tech talent.