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Indian consumers forming emotional bonds with AI; more than half considers it 'good friend': Accenture
A year ago, 82% of Indian consumers were open to AI making purchases on their behalf. Today, they’re not just open, they’re emotionally invested, according to Accenture Consumer Pulse Survey 2025.
For brands in India, generative and agentic AI present a powerful opportunity not just for personalization, but to design meaningful, intuitive experiences that feel human, Accenture said.
A year ago, 82% of Indian consumers were open to AI making purchases on their behalf. Today, they’re not just open – they’re emotionally invested, according to Accenture Consumer Pulse Survey 2025.
The vast majority (95%) of active gen AI users in India have or would consider asking gen AI for help with personal development goals, and 89% have used it for social and relationship advice.
Accenture’s latest Consumer Pulse survey of 18,000 consumers in 14 countries including India, presented in the report, “Me, my brand, and AI: The new world of consumer engagement,” explores how the adoption of AI is reinventing the consumer-brand relationship, influencing not just what people buy, but how they think, feel and engage.
Acoording to the report, more than half (56%) of active gen AI users in India – defined as people using gen AI tools at least weekly for personal and/or professional reasons – think of gen AI as “a good friend.” The vast majority (95%) of active gen AI users in India have or would consider asking gen AI for help with personal development goals, and 89% have used it for social and relationship advice. "Majority (95%) of active gen AI users in India have or would use it to get help with purchase decisions," it added.
Generative AI (gen AI) is becoming a go-to for consumers in their daily lives. Approximately 93% consumers in India have used standalone gen AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude or engaged with gen AI through social media or search. At the same time, uncertainty is the prevailing backdrop to consumers’ lives, with more than half of consumers in India (55%) report feeling unusually high levels of uncertainty, a sentiment that has doubled in the past year (25% in Dec 2024) and three times the level reported in 2023 (18%).
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Despite the current economic challenges, retailers and brands that compete on experience and connection can drive growth. It pays off for brands that get this right, Accenture said.
- A vast majority of consumers in India expect deeper, more personalized retail experiences - 94% seek tailored recommendations based on their goals and shopping history, and 91% want timely suggestions that help upgrade their purchases.
- 91% of consumers in India are drawn to interactive or immersive shopping formats that inspire and assist in comparing options and 90% value the ability to connect with a brand’s broader community for ongoing support.
- More than half (56%) of consumers in India would switch from a preferred brand to one that makes them feel special.
Members of loyalty programs in India are 2.4 times more likely to be experientially or emotionally motivated; more willing to share data and engage with personalized experiences. Consumers in India who are loyalty members are twice more likely to recommend the brand online than non-members.
Vineet R Ahuja, MD & Lead – Strategy & Consulting, Accenture in India said, “Our survey reveals a significant shift in consumer behavior in India, with generative AI becoming an integral part of their daily lives. The emotional bond that consumers are forming with AI is redefining their engagement and purchase decisions. Brands that use AI to deepen relationships and personalise services without losing the human touch, will earn lasting loyalty in this new era of discovery and trust.”
This is reflected in the demand Accenture is seeing in its own work across the consumer space, including gen AI initiatives for Best Buy, Bath & Body Works, Unilever and Mondelez International.
Amneet Singh, MD & Lead – Products, Accenture in India said, "For brands in India, generative and agentic AI present a powerful opportunity not just for personalization, but to design meaningful, intuitive experiences that feel human. In an environment where consumer uncertainty is rising and AI trust is rapidly growing; brands must act now to define their role within AI ecosystems. That means optimizing content for AI-driven discovery and enabling experiential offerings that span physical and digital channels.”
Now in its 6th year, Accenture’s Consumer Pulse Research explores how consumer sentiment, behaviors and expectations are driving change for consumer-facing industries. This year’s research offers insights into the relationships that consumers have with brands across the consumer journey in the age of generative AI, with a particular focus on the implications this will have for the consumer goods and services, retail and travel industries.
The research surveyed a representative sample of 18,214 consumers from 14 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Mainland China and Hong Kong, Italy, India, Japan, Spain, Sweden, UAE, UK and USA.
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