80% Indian Firms Feel AI Investments Meet Their Expectations: Accenture Research

A new report has revealed that 79 per cent of Indian organisations have seen their investments in generative AI and automation exceed expectations, with 64 per cent planning to ramp up these efforts by 2026. 

The report pointed to the rapid transformation occurring in India, where the number of companies with fully modernised, AI-led operations has surged from 8 per cent in 2023 to 25 per cent in 2024. This sharp increase has reportedly outpaced the global trend.

The research indicates that companies in India are using generative AI across a range of critical functions. In finance, 76 per cent of firms have developed AI use cases, while 65 per cent are applying the technology to IT and security, and 63 per cent to customer service. 

The Accenture findings suggest that these "reinvention-ready" companies are better positioned to capitalise on AI's benefits, with such firms achieving 2.5 times higher revenue growth, 2.4 times greater productivity, and 3.3 times more success in scaling AI use cases compared to their peers.

Challenges

Despite this progress, many companies are still grappling with challenges in adopting AI on a large scale. In India, 58 per cent of organisations struggle to transform their operations, mirroring global trends where 64 per cent of firms face similar issues. 

A big barrier is the lack of a robust data foundation, with 61 per cent of companies globally reporting that their data assets are not yet ready for generative AI. Additionally, 70 per cent of firms find it difficult to scale AI projects that rely on proprietary data.

“Most executives understand the urgency of reinventing with generative AI, but in many cases their enterprise operations are not ready to support large scale transformation,” said Arundhati Chakraborty, group chief executive of Accenture Operations. 

The report also mentioned the human element of AI adoption, with 82 per cent of companies in the early stages of their AI journey globally lacking a talent strategy to prepare their workforce for AI-driven workflows. 

Further, 78 per cent of executives express concerns that AI is advancing too quickly for their training efforts to keep pace.

“Generative AI is more than the technology. It is a driver of a mindset change that impacts the entire enterprise. It requires organizations to have a strong digital core, data strategy and a well-defined roadmap to change the way they operate. Additionally, an end-to-end perspective leveraging talent, leading practices and effective collaboration between business and technology teams is essential for intelligent operations,” Chakraborty added.