India’s AI Spending Surge Signals Confidence—But the Real Battle Is Human, Not Digital

 As India steps into 2026, one thing is clear: artificialintelligence has moved from boardroom buzzword to business backbone. Corporate India is spending with confidence, scaling budgets, and placing AI squarely at the centre of growth strategies. This is no longer about testing what’s possible—it’s about building what’s next. Yet behind the bullish outlook sits a quieter concern that refuses to be automated away: people.

Accenture’s latest Pulse of Change survey captures this contradiction perfectly. Almost nine in ten Indian C-suite leaders plan to raise AI investments in the coming year, signalling a belief that AI will unlock new revenue streams rather than merely optimise costs. Even amid geopolitical instability and economic headwinds, Indian enterprises are choosing to push forward, not pause.

Big Vision, Fragile Foundations

The ambition is undeniable. The readiness, less so.

Over a quarter of Indian executives admit that shortage of skilled AI talent is the biggest obstacle preventing them from extracting real value from their AI initiatives. What makes this especially striking is that this gap persists even as AI tools become easier to access and deploy.

Most organisations are still stuck in training-lite mode. Only 24% have made continuous AI learning part of everyday work, and fewer than one in ten are rethinking job roles for an AI-first future. The result is a pattern many enterprises know too well: successful pilots that never quite graduate into enterprise-wide impact.

No Fear of the Bubble Bursting

Unlike past tech cycles, Indian business leaders appear unfazed by talk of an AI bubble. Six out of ten CXOs say they would keep increasing AI spending even if the hype deflates, and half would continue hiring regardless.

The confidence runs deeper. 79% expect to grow their workforce in 2026, while 76% are betting on faster revenue growth, despite anticipating more disruption than this year. AI, in this context, is no longer a gamble—it’s seen as essential infrastructure, much like cloud or broadband once were.

AI Grows Up: From Trials to Transformation

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India’s AI journey is also maturing. About 41% of enterprises are already deploying AI agents across multiple functions, while 24% are redesigning entire processes with AI at the core. For senior leaders, AI is becoming part of daily work—nearly four in ten Indian C-suite executives now use generative AI tools regularly.

What’s surprising is the alignment between leadership and the workforce. Executives are confident their teams are AI-ready, and employees largely echo that sentiment. Nearly half already use AI to boost productivity, and a strong majority believe it can deliver meaningful business impact.

Why Skills Will Separate Leaders from Laggards

Indian leaders feel well-prepared to handle technological disruption, with AI and digital investments topping their priority list. Confidence dips, however, when it comes to environmental and geopolitical uncertainty—areas where adaptability, judgment, and leadership skills matter as much as algorithms.

As Saurabh Kumar Sahu, MD and Lead for India Business at Accenture, notes, the equation has changed. The challenge is no longer about access to cutting-edge AI—it’s about whether employees feel empowered, prepared, and included as work itself is redefined.

Heading into 2026, India’s AI narrative is shifting gears. The question is no longer who is adopting AI, but who can translate it into sustained value. Turning ambition into execution. Turning technology into outcomes. And above all, turning investment into skills. Those who get the human side right won’t just use AI—they’ll shape the future of India Inc.

By Advik Gupta