India Outpaces Global Peers on Workplace AI Adoption but Productivity Gains Come with Rising Workloads, Says Korn Ferry

BusinessWire India
Gurugram (Haryana) [India], September 30: Korn Ferry today released the India findings of its Workforce 2026 Insights Report, showing that India’s workforce is ahead of the global average across several measures of AI adoption, readiness and integration, as AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday work.
The study shows that 86% of employees in India are positive about how AI will change the way they work, compared with 65% globally, while 76% feel adequately trained to use AI, versus 52% globally. 81% say AI improves efficiency, compared with 63% globally, while 73% say AI tools are being integrated into how work gets done in their role, versus 54% globally.
Greater AI capability is arriving alongside expanding demands. While 79% of employees in India say they are more productive than a year ago, 78% report significantly higher workloads over the past two years, compared with 62% globally. 73% say AI tools have increased the number of tasks expected in their role, while 72% say they are performing the responsibilities of more than one role. The findings point to a rising performance baseline as AI becomes embedded in everyday work.
Navnit Singh, Chairman and Regional Managing Director, India, Korn Ferry, said: “India’s workforce is embracing AI and seeing benefits in productivity and innovation. This is a powerful starting point, but it also raises expectations for what people can deliver.”
“What makes this moment significant is that work itself is beginning to change. India is ahead of the global average on AI optimism, training and productivity gains. Organizations now have an opportunity to move beyond AI adoption and define what an AI-enabled organization looks like in practice. The choices leaders make now about roles, skills and performance will determine whether these gains translate into stronger innovation, higher-value work and sustained growth.”
The findings draw on Korn Ferry’s annual global survey of more than 16,000 professionals across 11 markets, including 2,000 respondents from India across all organizational levels, from individual contributors to CEOs.
Key India findings include:
-         AI is entering the performance review. 70% of Indian employees say AI fluency is being incorporated into employee reviews, compared with 50% globally. 75% say AI has enabled them to play a greater part in reimagining their role. AI is beginning to influence how roles evolve and how performance is assessed.
-         The scope of work is expanding across job levels. 72% say they are performing the responsibilities of more than one role, compared with 61% globally. Among first-level supervisors and managers, 80% report significantly higher workloads and 76% say AI has increased their number of tasks. The expansion of work is visible across organizational levels.
-         Confidence and concern coexist as India’s workforce navigates AI. 74% believe using AI will bolster their value in the next three years, even as 60% believe their role will be replaced by AI or technology during the same period. Employees recognize AI’s potential to enhance their contribution while also questioning the future of their roles.
-         The challenge is turning greater capacity into impact. 62% say they are too busy to deliver meaningful results, compared with 45% globally, and 68% say existing processes and structures hold back their performance. The findings highlight the distinction between completing more work and translating additional capacity into greater value.
Sandeep Bhalla, Head of Consulting, India, Korn Ferry, said: “The most important distinction leaders need to make in this next phase is between activity and impact. AI is helping employees complete tasks faster, but productivity alone does not guarantee better business outcomes. If every efficiency gain is immediately absorbed into more work, organizations risk becoming busier without creating equivalent value. The leadership challenge now is deciding how AI-created capacity will be used.”
“Many organizations are still layering AI onto existing work. The next step is much bigger. Leaders need to ask what work requires a human, what AI can own and how the two can work together. There is a need to redesign workflows, roles and performance around outcomes, not simply deploy more technology.”
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