Nearly half of Indian enterprises have embedded AI into business strategies, says study
The report cautioned that weak data foundations, information complexity, and cyber risks could slow India’s AI momentum.
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Indian enterprises are racing ahead in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, with nearly half having already embedded the technology into their IT and business strategies, according to a new report by OpenText and the Ponemon Institute. The study, which surveyed almost 1,900 senior IT and security leaders worldwide—including 337 in India—found that 48 per cent of Indian firms have integrated AI, placing the country among the global frontrunners.
However, the report, as quoted by PTI, cautioned that weak data foundations, information complexity, and cyber risks could slow India’s AI momentum. The report stated that while Indian enterprises are among the fastest adopters of Generative AI, gaps in information readiness are making it difficult to secure, govern, and scale AI across businesses.
India’s AI ambitions are underscored by strong leadership buy-in, with 59 per cent of Indian boards and CEOs rating AI as “extremely important”—a higher proportion than peers in the UK and France. Saurabh Saxena, Regional Vice President, OpenText India, noted that India is fast emerging as a global leader in AI adoption, with enterprises showing ambition and enthusiasm. This is the opportunity to leapfrog global counterparts by closing gaps in information readiness.
The study revealed that Indian organisations are also ahead of global peers in prioritising digital transformation, with 54 per cent making it a top priority compared to 44 per cent worldwide. Despite this future-forward approach, only 15 per cent of Indian enterprises expressed confidence in measuring the return on investment from securing and managing the information underpinning AI initiatives.
Unstructured data, security vulnerabilities, and insufficient governance frameworks remain major hurdles for scaling AI responsibly. The report highlighted that Indian leaders are particularly attuned to these risks, with 46 per cent flagging bias in AI models—compared with 32 per cent globally—and nearly half citing privacy infringement as a key concern.
The findings suggest that while India is positioning itself as a leader in AI adoption, sustaining this advantage will depend on strengthening data governance, addressing security risks, and ensuring ethical safeguards around AI use.
