India's Multimodal AI Usage Set to Nearly Double to 43% by 2030, Ericsson Report Reveals

Multimodal AI Usage in India Poised for Dramatic Growth

Daily multimodal AI use in India is set to nearly double to 43% by 2030, up from 22% at present, according to new research from Ericsson ConsumerLab1

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. This projected level significantly exceeds the global estimate of 30%, up from 10% today, positioning AI in India as a rapidly expanding market. The findings, based on responses from over 43,000 smartphone users aged 15-69 across 27 markets including India, signal a fundamental shift in how consumers interact with artificial intelligence across text, voice, images and video1

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AI Adoption Trends Reshaping Consumer Behavior

The Ericsson report highlights a clear transition from occasional AI interactions to more frequent, integrated use across multiple devices and locations2

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. By 2030, daily multimodal AI use, multi-device AI use and the number of on-the-go locations where AI is accessed are all expected to triple globally1

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. This behavioral shift matters because it transforms AI from a desktop-bound tool into a constant mobile companion, fundamentally altering how people search, create and communicate. Nitin Bansal, Managing Director at Ericsson India, emphasized that "AI is becoming an integral part of how consumers search, create and communicate today. As AI becomes more multimodal and mobile, consumers will expect these experiences to work reliably across devices and wherever they are"2

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AI Super Users Driving Network Demands

A distinct group of AI super users currently represents around 10% of all consumers but is expected to account for 30% by 2030 while generating more than 80% of all AI activity1

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. These power users demonstrate heightened sensitivity to network performance, with response time having 2.5 times the influence on network satisfaction compared with average users2

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. Their behavior offers an early preview of mass-market AI adoption patterns, pointing toward more frequent interactions across multiple devices with greater reliance on mobile connectivity. This creates immediate pressure on communications service providers to enhance infrastructure capabilities.

Network Performance Under Pressure from Upload-Heavy Traffic

As consumers increasingly use AI on the move and share more images, video and voice with AI services, network traffic is expected to become more upload-heavy and unevenly distributed1

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. This shift increases the importance of network responsiveness and uplink capacity, particularly in locations where demand is already high2

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. Traditional network architectures optimized for download-heavy traffic will need reconfiguration to handle short bursts of upload demand generated by sharing multimedia content with AI services. Bansal noted that "India's strong digital foundation provides an opportunity to support this next phase of AI adoption. High-performing networks will be important to delivering the responsiveness, capacity and reliability that emerging AI experiences will require"1

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Agentic AI Set to Transform Task Automation

The research points to significant growth in agentic AI, which can autonomously carry out tasks such as making bookings, comparing products or managing schedules on behalf of users1

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. Across surveyed markets, 38% of smartphone users expect to use agentic AI by 2030, compared with just 4% today2

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. Consumers anticipate these AI-enabled services will save approximately one hour of screen time daily1

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. As agentic AI becomes more prevalent, AI services could generate more background activity across applications and services, potentially increasing the importance of predictable performance, low latency and resilient connectivity2

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Trust Emerges as Critical Factor for AI Assistants

More than half of daily AI users express strong concerns about fake or hacked AI assistants1

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. The research finds that communications service providers rank as the most trusted among ecosystem actors for verifying the identities of AI assistants2

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. This trust factor will become increasingly important as AI gains the capability to act autonomously on behalf of users, handling sensitive tasks like financial transactions or personal scheduling. Watch for telecom operators to leverage this trust advantage by offering verified AI assistant services as a differentiator in an increasingly competitive market.