Embracing AI advantage: 7 in 10 Indian businesses plan increased investment, finds study
Adoption milestones continue to advance rapidly across the market. More than 60% of Indian businesses have moved past the initial planning and piloting phases, with 35% scaling pilots into production and 26% embedding AI across multiple core business processes.
- Nov 2, 2026,
- Updated Nov 2, 2026 1:13 PM IST
Nearly seven in 10 Indian businesses plan to increase their artificial intelligence spending over the next year, even as a sharp data-readiness gap threatens to limit broader returns, according to the latest Dun & Bradstreet AI Momentum Survey.
While investment ambition surges across the country, only 3% of surveyed Indian enterprises describe their data as fully ready to support AI at scale. This figure lags behind the global average of 8% by five percentage points, exposing a critical hurdle for firms attempting to move from experimentation to enterprise-wide advantage.
The survey reveals a direct link between data foundations and financial returns. Businesses in India with fully AI-ready data report broad or strong AI return on investment at 6.3 times the rate of those with only partially ready data. Overall, 30% of Indian respondents currently report broad or strong returns from their AI initiatives, while 46% observe pockets of ROI and 10% note that most pilots have successfully scaled with clear gains.
Adoption milestones continue to advance rapidly across the market. More than 60% of Indian businesses have moved past the initial planning and piloting phases, with 35% scaling pilots into production and 26% embedding AI across multiple core business processes.
Looking ahead, 69% expect to boost their AI budgets over the next 12 months, and nearly 70% anticipate that AI will directly drive new products, services, business models, or operational enhancements in the upcoming quarter.
Workforce capabilities remain another critical variable in the deployment cycle. Only 25% of Indian businesses report strong or very strong workforce readiness, while half describe internal capabilities as mixed, indicating that technological access is outpacing the organisational skills required to harness it effectively.
“India has reached an exciting inflection point in its AI journey. The ambition is clearly visible, and businesses are increasingly seeing tangible returns from their AI investments,” said Julian Prower, Executive Vice President, Global Business Operations & Transformation and Managing Director & CEO, India & Taiwan, Dun & Bradstreet.
“But the next chapter will be about moving from AI adoption to AI advantage. As enterprises embed AI more deeply across operations and decision-making, the quality of the underlying foundation will determine the quality of the outcomes. Trusted, connected and well-governed data, combined with an AI-ready workforce, will be critical to scaling AI responsibly and effectively. Businesses that get these fundamentals right will be able to make sharper decisions, innovate with greater confidence and convert AI momentum into sustainable growth and enduring competitive advantage.”
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Nearly seven in 10 Indian businesses plan to increase their artificial intelligence spending over the next year, even as a sharp data-readiness gap threatens to limit broader returns, according to the latest Dun & Bradstreet AI Momentum Survey.
While investment ambition surges across the country, only 3% of surveyed Indian enterprises describe their data as fully ready to support AI at scale. This figure lags behind the global average of 8% by five percentage points, exposing a critical hurdle for firms attempting to move from experimentation to enterprise-wide advantage.
The survey reveals a direct link between data foundations and financial returns. Businesses in India with fully AI-ready data report broad or strong AI return on investment at 6.3 times the rate of those with only partially ready data. Overall, 30% of Indian respondents currently report broad or strong returns from their AI initiatives, while 46% observe pockets of ROI and 10% note that most pilots have successfully scaled with clear gains.
Adoption milestones continue to advance rapidly across the market. More than 60% of Indian businesses have moved past the initial planning and piloting phases, with 35% scaling pilots into production and 26% embedding AI across multiple core business processes.
Looking ahead, 69% expect to boost their AI budgets over the next 12 months, and nearly 70% anticipate that AI will directly drive new products, services, business models, or operational enhancements in the upcoming quarter.
Workforce capabilities remain another critical variable in the deployment cycle. Only 25% of Indian businesses report strong or very strong workforce readiness, while half describe internal capabilities as mixed, indicating that technological access is outpacing the organisational skills required to harness it effectively.
“India has reached an exciting inflection point in its AI journey. The ambition is clearly visible, and businesses are increasingly seeing tangible returns from their AI investments,” said Julian Prower, Executive Vice President, Global Business Operations & Transformation and Managing Director & CEO, India & Taiwan, Dun & Bradstreet.
“But the next chapter will be about moving from AI adoption to AI advantage. As enterprises embed AI more deeply across operations and decision-making, the quality of the underlying foundation will determine the quality of the outcomes. Trusted, connected and well-governed data, combined with an AI-ready workforce, will be critical to scaling AI responsibly and effectively. Businesses that get these fundamentals right will be able to make sharper decisions, innovate with greater confidence and convert AI momentum into sustainable growth and enduring competitive advantage.”
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine