Indian Firms Lag Behind Global Peers in AI Expertise, Says Deloitte

Deloitte's State of AI in the Enterprise Report 2026: Key Insights

Global AI Adoption

Deloitte's latest survey, covering 3,235 director to C-suite-level respondents from six industries and 24 countries, reveals that 28% of global organizations have achieved significant or full usage of AI, while 40% of Indian respondents report the same level of adoption. This indicates that Indian organizations are not only piloting AI but operationalizing it to unlock near-term productivity and business outcomes.

Indian AI Adoption and Expertise

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Indian enterprises are outpacing global counterparts in terms of AI adoption, with 94% of Indian organizations expecting their AI budgets to increase over the next year. However, Indian companies lag behind global companies in terms of expertise, with 0-4% possessing a high level of AI expertise, compared to a global average of 2-8%.

Challenges in AI Integration

The report lists regulatory and compliance demands as the leading obstacle for AI integration (39%), followed by resistance to change (34%). Organisations report relatively lower pressure from cost (12%) and infrastructure (5%) constraints, indicating that governance readiness and operating-model change are the more immediate limiting factors for scale.

Productivity Improvements and Transformation

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Nearly all respondents (97%) anticipate productivity improvements. The next chapter will be shaped less by access to technology and more by the ability to build institutional capability, strengthen governance, and align people with new ways of working.

AI Trends and Worker Access

Deloitte reported three key AI trends that are reshaping the AI space: Sovereign AI, Agentic AI, and Physical AI. Companies have broadened worker access to AI by 50% in just one year, growing from fewer than 40% to around 60% of workers now equipped with sanctioned AI tools. However, while AI is boosting productivity and efficiency, just a subset are using it to rewrite the business.

Redesigning Jobs and the Nature of Work

Despite high expectations for automation, 84% of companies have not redesigned jobs or the nature of work itself around AI capabilities. While each are capturing productivity and efficiency gains, just the first group are truly reimagining their businesses rather than optimising what already exists.

Governance and Oversight

The use of autonomous AI agents has risen among companies, but oversight is lagging. 74% of companies plan to deploy agentic AI within two years, yet only 21% report having a mature model for governance of autonomous agents, raising the specter of unintended risks.