86% of Indian employees use AI at work, but ROI and governance trail: ISACA
Synopsis
Despite 86% of Indian employees using AI at work, ISACA's latest poll of 3,400+ digital trust professionals finds that only 35% say the technology has delivered on its return-on-investment promise. With 20% of Indian organisations still lacking any AI policy, the report lays bare a widening gap between adoption enthusiasm and governance readiness.
Key Takeaways
86 per cent of employees in India use AI at work, according to ISACA's latest digital trust report released on 11 May 2025 .
Only 35 per cent of Indian respondents say AI ROI has met or exceeded expectations, versus a global average of 22 per cent .
49 per cent of Indian organisations now have a formal AI policy, up from 32 per cent in 2025 and above the global rate of 38 per cent .
Still, 20 per cent of Indian organisations have no active AI policy, and 23 per cent have only a limited one.
57 per cent of Indian respondents expect their organisation to increase AI-related jobs in the next 12 months , up from 46 per cent in 2025.
AI skills training has expanded: 35 per cent of organisations now train all employees on AI, up from 22 per cent in 2025.
A new report by global tech association ISACA reveals that 86 per cent of employees in India now use artificial intelligence at work, yet only 35 per cent say AI's return on investment has met or exceeded expectations — a figure that, while higher than the global average of 22 per cent, still signals a widening gap between AI adoption and measurable outcomes. The findings, released on Monday, 11 May 2025, are based on a poll of over 3,400 digital trust professionals worldwide, including 265 respondents from India.
AI Adoption in India: Where Things Stand
Indian organisations are outpacing global peers on policy development. According to the report, 49 per cent of organisations in India now have a formal, comprehensive AI policy — up sharply from 32 per cent in 2025 and above the 38 per cent global rate. Despite this progress, the picture is far from complete: 23 per cent of organisations reported having only a limited policy, while 20 per cent have no active AI policy at all.
The most common use cases for AI among Indian professionals include increasing productivity (56 per cent), automating repetitive tasks (55 per cent), creating written content (51 per cent), and analysing large volumes of data (42 per cent).
The ROI Gap: Expectations vs Reality
The report paints an honest picture of where AI value creation stands. Roughly 21 per cent of Indian respondents said it is too early to assess ROI, another 21 per cent cited limited returns so far, and 18 per cent said they were simply unaware of the returns their organisations were generating. Taken together, these figures suggest that nearly 60 per cent of Indian AI users cannot confidently confirm meaningful returns — despite the technology's deep penetration into daily workflows.
Keith Bloomfield-DeWeese, Senior Manager of AI Product Development at ISACA, acknowledged the disconnect.
Point of View
But ISACA's data exposes a familiar pattern: technology deployment racing ahead of the governance and skills infrastructure needed to sustain it. The fact that nearly 60% of Indian AI users cannot confirm meaningful returns is not a failure of AI — it is a failure of organisational readiness. More telling still is that one in five Indian organisations has no AI policy whatsoever, even as employees embed the technology into daily work. The jump in AI job creation expectations — from 46% to 57% in a single year — suggests boardrooms are doubling down on AI investment, which makes the governance lag not just a compliance risk but a strategic liability.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the ISACA report find about AI use in India?
The ISACA report found that 86 per cent of employees in India use AI at work, but only 35 per cent say the technology's return on investment has met or exceeded expectations. The survey covered 265 Indian respondents as part of a broader poll of over 3,400 digital trust professionals globally.
How does India compare globally on AI ROI?
India's AI ROI satisfaction rate of 35 per cent is higher than the global average of 22 per cent, but still leaves the majority of Indian AI users unable to confirm meaningful returns. Around 21 per cent said it was too early to tell, 21 per cent cited limited ROI, and 18 per cent were unaware of returns.
How many Indian organisations have a formal AI policy?
According to the ISACA report, 49 per cent of Indian organisations now have a formal, comprehensive AI policy — up from 32 per cent in 2025 and above the global rate of 38 per cent. However, 20 per cent still have no active AI policy at all.
What are Indian employees using AI for most?
Indian professionals most commonly use AI to increase productivity (56 per cent), automate repetitive tasks (55 per cent), create written content (51 per cent), and analyse large amounts of data (42 per cent), according to the ISACA report.
Is AI expected to create more jobs in India?
Yes — 57 per cent of Indian respondents said their organisation plans to increase AI-related jobs in the next 12 months, up from 46 per cent in 2025. AI skills training has also expanded, with 35 per cent of organisations now training all employees on AI, compared to 22 per cent previously.
