Key Takeaways:
- Higher Loan Risks: Larger gold loans above ₹2.5 lakh show double the delinquency rates of smaller ones.
- Massive Market Growth: Gold loans now comprise 11.1% of India’s retail credit, doubling since early 2022.
- Shift in Strategy: Lenders must assess borrower repayment capacity rather than relying only on pledged gold value.
Anthropic on Tuesday named Vas Narasimhan to its board of directors, bringing the first pharmaceutical executive into the artificial intelligence company’s leadership as it expands deeper into healthcare and weighs a possible IPO.
Anthropic Expands Board With Pharma Expertise
Vas Narasimhan, chief executive of Novartis, joins a board that includes Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, President Daniela Amodei, Jay Kreps, and Reed Hastings. He was appointed by Anthropic’s Long-Term Benefit Trust, an independent governance body whose members do not hold financial stakes in the company.
The appointment of Vas Narasimhan is Anthropic’s second board addition this year after former Microsoft executive Chris Liddell joined in February. The company is reportedly considering an initial public offering as early as 2026.
Daniela Amodei said Vas Narasimhan brings experience in delivering complex technologies safely in highly regulated industries. She said he has overseen the development and approval of more than 35 medicines during his time at Novartis.
Healthcare Becomes Bigger Part of AI Strategy
Anthropic has steadily increased its focus on healthcare and life sciences in recent months. The company has partnered with drugmakers including Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Genmab to shorten drug development timelines.
Earlier this month, Anthropic acquired biotech startup Coefficient Bio in a stock deal reportedly valued at about $400 million. The startup’s founders, Samuel Stanton and Nathan C. Frey, previously worked in computational drug discovery and are expected to join Anthropic’s health and life sciences team.
Anthropic also launched Claude for Life Sciences last year, a version of its AI tools aimed at helping researchers accelerate scientific discovery and manage clinical and regulatory work—an area where Vas Narasimhan’s expertise is expected to contribute significantly.
Narasimhan Stresses Responsible AI Use
In a LinkedIn post, Narasimhan said his work across medicine and global health has shown that technology creates the most value when it is used responsibly. He said AI is already helping scientists understand disease biology, identify drug targets, and design medicines.
“But speed alone isn’t the goal,” Vas Narasimhan wrote. “What matters just as much is how these tools are built, governed, and ultimately applied in the real world.”
The appointment of Vas Narasimhan highlights how AI companies are increasingly seeking industry expertise as they move into regulated sectors such as healthcare, where concerns over safety, privacy, and governance remain central.
