Venture capital powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz, widely recognized by its abbreviation a16z, has firmly rejected recent reports in Indian media that claimed the firm intended to establish a new office in India. The company’s leadership specifically denounced these stories, labeling them as completely unfounded and inaccurate. One of the firm’s general partners, Anish Acharya—a long-standing member of a16z based in the San Francisco Bay Area—was particularly emphatic in his response. While expressing admiration for India’s growing community of visionary founders and highly capable investors, Acharya categorically dismissed the notion of an India office, describing the circulating stories as “entirely fake news.” His remarks, shared publicly on X (formerly Twitter), left little ambiguity about the firm’s stance.
The controversy began earlier in the day when several Indian publications reported that Andreessen Horowitz was preparing to launch a physical presence in the country, allegedly by opening an operational hub in the tech capital of Bengaluru. According to those reports—based on information attributed to unnamed sources—the firm was not only scouting office space but was also in the process of recruiting a senior local partner to lead its Indian operations. However, that narrative quickly unraveled when Acharya’s official statement contradicted the claims in no uncertain terms. A spokesperson for a16z later confirmed that Acharya’s message represented the firm’s official position and referred reporters directly to his post for comment, effectively shutting down the rumor.
This denial arrives at a time when Andreessen Horowitz appears to be recalibrating certain aspects of its international strategy. Earlier this year, the firm made headlines for deciding to close its London office—an outpost that had opened in 2023 after the U.K. government had spent nearly five years courting the prominent investment house to establish a base there. The closure, coming just 18 months after its inauguration, was attributed to a change in strategic priorities and a more advantageous regulatory environment in the United States. Despite withdrawing from its London footprint, a16z emphasized that it would continue to pursue international investment opportunities through remote teams and its network of global scouts and collaborators. Multiple reports later highlighted that several members of its scouting network remained active across various European markets, continuing to identify and support promising startups from afar.
Historically, India has not occupied a central position in Andreessen Horowitz’s global portfolio. This contrasts with other major American venture firms such as Accel, General Catalyst, and Lightspeed Venture Partners, all of which have established deep, long-term engagements with the Indian startup ecosystem. To date, a16z’s most notable investment in India has been in the cryptocurrency exchange CoinSwitch, which the firm supported in 2021 as part of the company’s massive $260 million funding round. Following that investment, reports surfaced suggesting that Andreessen Horowitz had explored the possibility of committing approximately $500 million toward Indian startups. Nevertheless, no subsequent large-scale investments in the region have been made public since those initial discussions.
The episode also echoes earlier comments by a16z co-founder and general partner Marc Andreessen, who—during a lecture at Stanford Graduate School of Business several years ago—addressed the complexities of international expansion for venture firms. He observed that while emerging markets undeniably present tremendous entrepreneurial potential and are often deeply enticing to investors seeking high growth, they also introduce substantial logistical and relational challenges. Venture capital, he noted, is a highly personal and labor-intensive discipline that relies heavily on understanding founders, assessing company culture, and maintaining close, meaningful collaborations over time. Consequently, expanding across multiple countries, despite its allure, can dilute a firm’s capacity for hands-on engagement and due diligence. In this context, Andreessen Horowitz’s latest repudiation of India office rumors underscores its cautious, disciplined approach—prioritizing strategic focus and operational coherence over rapid geographic expansion.
Sourse: https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/09/andreessen-horowitz-denies-report-of-india-office-calls-it-fake-news/
