A new report by global real estate consultancy JLL has found that 77 per cent of Indian business leaders recognise that artificial intelligence will require significant changes to their workspaces — yet only 19 per cent have actually begun implementing those changes, revealing a 58-point gap between awareness and action. The findings, released on 28 July, are drawn from a survey of over 2,200 CEOs, CFOs, and real estate heads across 21 countries.

India Ahead of Global Peers on AI Readiness

Indian companies outperformed the global average on all eight AI-related measures tracked in the survey. 56 per cent of Indian firms actively monitor AI trends, compared to 46 per cent globally, and 45 per cent run staff training and change management programmes, against a global average of 36 per cent.

Nearly one in five Indian companies (19 per cent) report reaching the most advanced stage of AI deployment in real estate operations, versus 15 per cent globally. When those still scaling up are included, 47 per cent of Indian firms are actively rolling out AI in workplace operations, compared to 42 per cent worldwide.

Skills Gap, Not Budget, Is the Biggest Barrier

Ajit Kumar, Managing Director, Work Dynamics Accounts, West Asia, JLL, highlighted a significant shift in what is holding companies back. 'For the first time in 15 years of tracking this data, 46 per cent of Indian companies cite skills shortage as their primary barrier versus only 35 per cent citing budget — capability now outweighs cost,' he said.

Kumar framed this as a positive inflection point, noting that skills can be developed internally and sourced externally far more readily than waiting for capital allocation cycles. 'The companies that reframe this as a skills development challenge rather than a budget constraint — and invest in the 50 per cent who are prioritising AI support and infrastructure — will define India's workplace transformation over the next decade,' he added.

AI to Add Jobs, Not Cut Them, Say Leaders

Contrary to widespread concern about automation-driven job losses, Indian business leaders are broadly optimistic. 62 per cent of respondents said AI will make human roles more valuable rather than replace them, and 58 per cent expect overall workforce growth over the next three to five years.

The report notes that this sentiment positions India's corporate leadership as among the most AI-confident globally, though the execution gap suggests that optimism has yet to fully translate into structural workplace change.

The Execution Gap: Recognition vs Reality

Despite leading on awareness and sentiment, the 58-point gap between recognition and action remains the report's central finding. Only 19 per cent of Indian firms have begun adapting office space and operations to reflect AI's growing role — a figure that, while above the global benchmark, underscores how much ground remains to be covered.

This comes amid a broader global rethink of how physical workplaces must evolve alongside AI-driven workflows, with real estate strategy increasingly being shaped by technology adoption curves rather than headcount alone. As AI deployment accelerates, the companies that close this execution gap soonest are likely to hold a structural advantage in talent attraction and operational efficiency.