Anthropic's AI Tools Stir IT Sector Turmoil; Indian Stocks Plummet 6.3%
[Para 1: The Lead] Indian IT stocks, including Infosys, TCS, Wipro, and HCLTech, experienced a significant downturn, with shares diving 6.3% on Wednesday. This market reaction follows the launch of Anthropic's AI plug-ins, which aim to automate tasks in legal, sales, marketing, and data analysis, potentially disrupting the labor-intensive model of India's $283 billion IT sector. [Para 2-3: Supporting details & Context] The new tools from U.S.-based Anthropic, designed to integrate with its AI agent Claude, have triggered a selloff in global software stocks, including those in Europe. Analysts predict that as Indian enterprises incorporate Anthropic's advanced AI systems for critical coding workflows, the demand for large vendor teams may decrease, impacting billable hours and margins. Additionally, entry-level talent at Indian IT firms could be replaced by AI in routine development and testing tasks, according to Systematix Group analyst Ambrish Shah.