AI momentum surges with unmatched adoption in India

By Staff Report December 17, 2024 6:10 pm IST

India is leading the global adoption of AI, according to Freshworks’. India is at the forefront of AI adoption, with 74% of workers using AI daily. The report also found that 74% of AI experts are more comfortable and trusting than the global average of 55%.

The Freshworks’ AI Workplace Report indicates that companies in India are highly optimistic about the importance of AI for business success in 2025. With 79% of organisations planning to increase AI budgets and an anticipated 41% average rise in spending from 2024—the largest globally—India is setting new benchmarks in AI integration and innovation, driven by confidence in its ROI.

The Freshworks’ AI Workplace Report surveyed 4,000 professionals, including C-suite executives, globally across HR, IT, customer services and support, finance and accounting, sales, marketing, and legal departments.

India Leads Global AI Adoption and Trust

The report finds India at the forefront of AI adoption, with an exceptional level of expertise and confidence in AI-powered software that sets it apart globally. Globally, 26% of workers say they use AI every day. In India, that figure is nearly double, with 45% saying they use it daily.

Indian professionals, with 74% identifying as AI experts, are more comfortable and trusting than the global average of 55%. 91% of employees feel at ease using AI tools, and 90% trust AI to enhance work processes.

A key driver of this progress is that India has the highest percentage of employees stating mandatory AI-use policies within their workplaces, with 65% saying they are required to use AI within all or part of their workload—the highest percentage globally. This is particularly evident in IT and marketing, where employees were quick to point out that AI is both powerful and quick to show results and even “necessary” to some employees.

In India 88% of workers use AI-powered software weekly, a rate that outpaces all other regions, including the US, UK, and Europe. As a result, 85% of leaders of organisations in India report improved ROI from their AI investments, with IT and marketing departments seeing the most notable returns.

Investment in workforce upskilling

In India, businesses are prioritising workforce readiness, with 90% saying AI solutions are necessary to drive business success by 2025. A significant 88% of these businesses are focusing on AI training to future-proof their workforce, the highest among global counterparts like the UK (66%), Australia (62%), and Europe (67%).

These initiatives are heavily focused on ongoing security training (50%), along with upfront onboarding for AI tools (40%), reflecting the nation’s advanced AI adoption rate. Marketing (84%) and IT (81%) teams in India lead the race when it comes to the implementation of training the workforce on AI.

AI as a catalyst for career growth

Over two-thirds (67%) of Indian workers report career advancements tied to AI adoption, higher than the US (34%) and UK (35%), where AI’s impact on career growth is comparatively nascent.

Shelton Rego, Vice President of Freshworks India, said, “This report provides a fascinating overview of AI adoption globally, with India standing out with exceptional levels of usage and expertise. The combination of mandatory AI integration and workforce upskilling initiatives is driving India’s productivity and innovation to new heights.”

Rego added, “AI agents will increasingly be an integral part of how businesses approach delivering experiences to their customers while making lives easier for their employees. We have been empowering this change for businesses and the data now shows the large scale impact AI has for these high volume, high performance business functions.”

AI chatbots are revolutionising customer and employee service in India, transforming workplace functions and fostering a more efficient and effective work environment. The majority (88%) of IT service and customer service professionals in India consider AI chatbots essential to ease their workloads. These tools streamline operations, enhance service quality, and allow employees to focus on strategic initiatives. Furthermore, 84% of customer service teams utilise AI for critical tasks, such as managing online self-service portals and monitoring customer interactions for quality assurance. The widespread adoption of AI tools has resulted in 48% of employees noting improved client experiences.

India’s confidence in AI, coupled with its widespread adoption and high levels of trust, places the country firmly ahead of global counterparts in AI-driven workplace success. This growing integration not only promises enhanced productivity but solidifies India’s position as a leader in the next wave of technological evolution.