AI readiness gap widens: Only 25% of Indian firms say workforce is prepared
Synopsis
India is deploying AI faster than its workforce can keep up. A Kyndryl survey of 1,100 global leaders finds workforce readiness among Indian firms has fallen 12 points in a year — even as 84% of organisations expect autonomous AI to be making real business decisions within 12 months. Only 28% fully trust those systems. The gap between ambition and preparedness has rarely been this stark.
Key Takeaways
Only 25 per cent of Indian companies say their workforce is adequately prepared for AI — a 12-point decline from 2025 , per Kyndryl .
56 per cent of Indian organisations report AI is broadly deployed or embedded in core processes, up from 36 per cent in 2025.
81 per cent of Indian business leaders fear AI advancement will outpace workforce capabilities and governance frameworks.
84 per cent of Indian organisations expect autonomous AI agents to make material decisions within 12 months ; only 28 per cent fully trust such systems without human oversight.
69 per cent have redesigned roles for AI adoption, but only 33 per cent have formal upskilling budgets in place.
Only 25 per cent of Indian companies believe their workforce is adequately equipped to leverage artificial intelligence — a steep 12-point drop from 2025 — even as AI deployment across Indian enterprises accelerates sharply, according to a new report by Kyndryl released on Tuesday, 7 July. The findings point to a widening chasm between how fast organisations are rolling out AI and how prepared their people are to work alongside it.
AI Deployment Is Outpacing Workforce Readiness
According to the Kyndryl report, 56 per cent of Indian organisations now say AI is either broadly deployed or embedded in core business processes — up significantly from 36 per cent who reported full integration in 2025. Yet the human side of the equation is moving in the opposite direction, with workforce readiness falling by 12 percentage points over the same period.
This comes amid growing anxiety at the leadership level: 81 per cent of Indian business leaders expressed concern that AI advancement will outpace their organisation's workforce capabilities, governance frameworks, and operating models. Notably, the concern is not just about skills — it extends to the structural and ethical scaffolding needed to deploy AI responsibly.
Autonomous AI Agents: High Expectations, Low Trust
The readiness gap becomes especially stark when it comes to autonomous AI. 84 per cent of Indian organisations expect autonomous AI agents to be making material business decisions within the next 12 months. Yet only 28 per cent say they fully trust autonomous AI systems operating without human oversight — a mismatch that raises significant governance and accountability questions.
This is the kind of contradiction that tends to surface when technology adoption is driven by competitive pressure rather than strategic readiness. Organisations are deploying autonomous systems they do not yet fully trust, a pattern that critics argue increases operational and reputational risk.
What Organisations Are Doing to Catch Up
69 per cent of surveyed Indian organisations have redesigned roles within or across functions to support AI adoption. However, only 33 per cent have implemented formal budgets and proactive upskilling strategies — suggesting that structural changes are happening faster than investments in people.
The report emphasises that AI success is not driven solely by technology choices or use cases. According to Kyndryl, the differentiating factor is whether organisations redesign work itself and manage that transformation across all levels. The data further indicates that trust in AI systems can be actively built through deliberate changes to operating models and governance frameworks.
What Kyndryl's Leadership Said
Lingraju Sawkar, Asia Pacific President at Kyndryl India, said India has consistently demonstrated leadership in technology adoption and that enterprises are moving quickly to integrate AI into operations. 'While organisations continue to invest in AI technologies and expand use cases, scaling impact will require businesses to rethink how work gets done, redesign roles, build new capabilities and establish governance frameworks that foster trust and responsible adoption,' Sawkar said.
About the Study
Kyndryl conducted the global study across 1,100 senior business and technology leaders spanning eight countries, including India. The findings reflect a broader global trend, but India's numbers stand out given the country's self-positioning as a leading AI-adoption market. As autonomous AI moves from pilot to production, the pressure on Indian enterprises to close the governance and readiness gap will only intensify.
Point of View
Where the systems making 'material decisions' are increasingly beyond direct human control. The 33% figure on formal upskilling budgets is the most telling: organisations are redesigning roles without funding the people to fill them.
NationPress
7 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Kyndryl report say about AI readiness in Indian companies?
The Kyndryl report, released on 7 July, found that only 25 per cent of Indian companies believe their workforce is adequately prepared to leverage AI — a 12-point decline from 2025. This drop has occurred even as AI deployment across Indian enterprises has accelerated significantly.
How widespread is AI deployment in Indian organisations right now?
According to the Kyndryl survey, 56 per cent of Indian organisations report that AI is either broadly deployed or embedded in their core business processes. This compares to 36 per cent who said AI was fully integrated across their organisations in 2025.
Why is the trust gap around autonomous AI significant?
84 per cent of Indian organisations expect autonomous AI agents to be making material business decisions within 12 months, yet only 28 per cent say they fully trust such systems operating without human oversight. This mismatch raises serious governance and accountability concerns as deployment accelerates.
What steps are Indian enterprises taking to prepare for AI?
69 per cent of surveyed Indian organisations have redesigned roles to support AI adoption, and 33 per cent have implemented formal budgets and proactive upskilling strategies. However, the Kyndryl report notes that organisational transformation is outpacing the development of governance and trust frameworks.
Who conducted the study and how large was the sample?
The study was conducted by Kyndryl across 1,100 senior business and technology leaders in eight countries, including India. The findings were published on 7 July.
