Shares of India's leading information technology services companies faced significant declines on Tuesday after OpenAI, a major artificial intelligence research organization, announced its entry into the software services market. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) shares fell by 4%, while Infosys, HCL Technologies, and Tech Mahindra saw declines of 3.8%, 3.4%, and 3.5%, respectively. This downturn follows OpenAI's announcement of the OpenAI Deployment Company, a joint venture with 19 private equity and consulting firms, aimed at integrating AI tools directly into business operations, a function traditionally managed by Indian IT outsourcers. The Nifty IT Index dropped 3.4%, reflecting investor concerns about the relevance of these traditional firms in an evolving market landscape. Analysts noted that OpenAI's strategy could significantly impact IT outsourcers, as it plans to hire engineers to work directly with clients, effectively bypassing them. This situation has raised fears among IT service firms that large clients in sectors such as banking and retail may increasingly turn to AI-native companies for their technology needs. The ongoing competition from AI firms like OpenAI and Anthropic has already led to substantial losses in investor confidence among Indian IT players, marking a challenging period for the sector as it adapts to rapid technological advancements.