India Leads Workplace AI Adoption as 38% of Pilots Fail Due to Lack of Business Context

India Leads Global Workplace AI Adoption as Demand for Contextual AI Rises

Workers in India are 45% more likely than the global average to say AI is part of their core workflow -- while unsuccessful pilots reveal the need for trusted, contextual, and personalized AI agents Salesforce today released the India findings from its Agentic Workplace Study, a double-blind survey of desk workers, revealing that Indian workers are among the most active users of AI at work. According to the study, workers in India are 45% more likely than the global average to say AI is part of their core workflow - the highest share across surveyed markets - signaling that AI is moving from experimentation to everyday use. At the same time, India also reports the highest incidence of unsuccessful AI pilots, with 38% of workers saying their organization experienced an unsuccessful AI pilot in the last year, compared with 28% globally. The findings suggest that India's workforce is not rejecting AI -- it is rejecting generic AI. As organizations move from experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption, workers are looking for AI that understands business context, is tailored to their roles, works inside existing workflows, and is supported by the right training and change management. Key findings: * India leads in workplace AI adoption: Workers in India are 45% more likely than the global average to say AI is part of their core workflow - the highest share across surveyed markets. * Unsuccessful pilots are exposing the limits of generic AI: 38% of workers in India say their organization experienced an unsuccessful AI pilot in the last year, the highest across surveyed markets and above the global average of 28%. * Skepticism remains high: 49% of workers in India consider themselves AI skeptics, compared with 37% globally. This suggests that greater exposure to AI is also creating higher expectations for relevance, trust and usability. * Lack of business context is the top reason AI pilots fall short: Among Indian workers whose AI tools or pilots did not work out, 34% said results lacked business context, higher than the global average of 22%. * Workers want AI that is personalized and practical: Other top reasons cited for unsuccessful AI pilots in India include limited ability to personalize AI to their role or tasks, 31%; generic outputs, 31%; insufficient training, 29%; and too many different tools, 28%. For leaders in India, the data points to a clear path forward. The next phase of AI adoption will depend on building better AI experiences, not just deploying more pilots. Organizations that invest in secure, trusted, and enterprise-ready AI agents; connect them to relevant business data; personalize them for specific roles; and train employees to use them effectively will be better positioned to turn experimentation into measurable workforce impact. In a market where workers are already ahead on adoption, the opportunity is to help AI graduate from a promising tool to a trusted partner in how work gets done. Deepu Chacko, VP, Solution Engineering, said, "India's AI story is now about execution. The workforce is experiencing AI in the flow of work, and that experience is creating a more mature expectation from technology -- AI that understands their business, supports their role, and helps them make decisions with confidence. Leaders must now focus on operationalizing AI -- connecting data, redesigning workflows, building trust, and equipping people to work alongside agents. If this is done well, AI will not just lift productivity. It will define how India competes, innovates, and grows." Salesforce Survey Methodology: In partnership with YouGov, Salesforce conducted a double-blind online survey among over 1,500 desk workers, defined as workers who consider their day-to-day job primarily mental labor over manual or task-based labor and were required to have at least minimal familiarity with AI, in Australia, India (120 respondents), Japan, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, Mexico, United States, and Canada. The survey was conducted from December 2025 to January 2026. The sample is representative across job roles, industries, and business size.

Workday Study: Indian Workers Are AI-Ready, but Outdated Enterprise Workflows Lag Behind

Nearly all Indian employees report a positive day-to-day work experience, yet only 32% say AI is embedded into their organisation's core systems Workday, Inc. today released The copy/paste economy: Why task-oriented AI is failing the enterprise in India, a new research report that reveals a disconnect between employee enthusiasm for AI and how organizations are deploying it. While 89% of Indian employees say AI has improved their day-to-day work experience, only 32% say AI is embedded into the core systems where work happens. The research found that while AI is helping employees complete individual tasks more efficiently, disconnected systems and workflows continue to consume substantial employee time and limit the value organisations can realise from AI. More than one-third of employees lose over seven hours each week moving information between systems, while 56% devote at least half of their effort to coordinating across systems and teams instead of creating value for their organisations. Despite these challenges, the findings paint an optimistic picture of India's workforce. Nearly all employees report a positive day-to-day work experience, and more than nine in ten say they make meaningful progress, feel a strong sense of ownership over their work, and understand how their contributions support broader organisational goals. This presents a significant opportunity for organisations to move beyond standalone AI tools and embed AI into the core systems and workflows where work happens, reducing operational friction and enabling employees to focus on more strategic, high-value work. "Our research shows that Indian employees are ready to embrace AI and are already experiencing its benefits in their day-to-day work. The next phase of enterprise AI will depend on how effectively organizations integrate AI into the way work gets done. As long as employees continue to navigate disconnected systems and workflows, organizations will only realize a fraction of AI's potential. Those that embed AI into the core of their business operations will be better positioned to simplify work, improve decision-making and create meaningful value across the enterprise," said Sunil Jose, President, Workday India. The next phase of enterprise AI is not about adding more tools; it is about embedding AI into the systems and workflows where work happens. Nearly all employees (95%) say AI increases their confidence in decision-making when they trust the underlying systems and data. Organizations that embed AI into trusted enterprise workflows can simplify operations, reduce friction and create more capacity for employees to focus on strategic, high-value work that delivers stronger business outcomes.

India Leads in Workplace AI Adoption as Workers Push for More Trusted, Contextual AI Experiences

Workers in India are 45% more likely than the global average to say AI is part of their core workflow -- while unsuccessful pilots reveal the need for trusted, contextual, and personalized AI agents Salesforce today released the India findings from its Agentic Workplace Study, a double-blind survey of desk workers, revealing that Indian workers are among the most active users of AI at work. According to the study, workers in India are 45% more likely than the global average to say AI is part of their core workflow - the highest share across surveyed markets - signaling that AI is moving from experimentation to everyday use. At the same time, India also reports the highest incidence of unsuccessful AI pilots, with 38% of workers saying their organization experienced an unsuccessful AI pilot in the last year, compared with 28% globally. The findings suggest that India's workforce is not rejecting AI -- it is rejecting generic AI. As organizations move from experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption, workers are looking for AI that understands business context, is tailored to their roles, works inside existing workflows, and is supported by the right training and change management. Key findings: * India leads in workplace AI adoption: Workers in India are 45% more likely than the global average to say AI is part of their core workflow - the highest share across surveyed markets. * Unsuccessful pilots are exposing the limits of generic AI: 38% of workers in India say their organization experienced an unsuccessful AI pilot in the last year, the highest across surveyed markets and above the global average of 28%. * Skepticism remains high: 49% of workers in India consider themselves AI skeptics, compared with 37% globally. This suggests that greater exposure to AI is also creating higher expectations for relevance, trust and usability. * Lack of business context is the top reason AI pilots fall short: Among Indian workers whose AI tools or pilots did not work out, 34% said results lacked business context, higher than the global average of 22%. * Workers want AI that is personalized and practical: Other top reasons cited for unsuccessful AI pilots in India include limited ability to personalize AI to their role or tasks, 31%; generic outputs, 31%; insufficient training, 29%; and too many different tools, 28%. For leaders in India, the data points to a clear path forward. The next phase of AI adoption will depend on building better AI experiences, not just deploying more pilots. Organizations that invest in secure, trusted, and enterprise-ready AI agents; connect them to relevant business data; personalize them for specific roles; and train employees to use them effectively will be better positioned to turn experimentation into measurable workforce impact. In a market where workers are already ahead on adoption, the opportunity is to help AI graduate from a promising tool to a trusted partner in how work gets done. Deepu Chacko, VP, Solution Engineering, said, "India's AI story is now about execution. The workforce is experiencing AI in the flow of work, and that experience is creating a more mature expectation from technology -- AI that understands their business, supports their role, and helps them make decisions with confidence. Leaders must now focus on operationalizing AI -- connecting data, redesigning workflows, building trust, and equipping people to work alongside agents. If this is done well, AI will not just lift productivity. It will define how India competes, innovates, and grows." Salesforce Survey Methodology: In partnership with YouGov, Salesforce conducted a double-blind online survey among over 1,500 desk workers, defined as workers who consider their day-to-day job primarily mental labor over manual or task-based labor and were required to have at least minimal familiarity with AI, in Australia, India (120 respondents), Japan, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, Mexico, United States, and Canada. The survey was conducted from December 2025 to January 2026. The sample is representative across job roles, industries, and business size.