Indian Fintechs Expect Rapid AI Adoption Despite 84% Respondents Yet to See Financial Payoffs From AI Investments: PwC Survey

• 71% of fintechs are building for 'Disciplined Consolidation' - a scenario where AI advances while capital tightens amid industry consolidation.

India's fintech industry is bracing for a tougher, more consolidated future even as it waits for AI to prove its worth on the balance sheet. As per PwC India’s latest report titled ‘Fit for Future: FinTech 2030,’ 84% of respondents cannot yet point to measurable, AI-driven results in their financial statements. Yet fintech leaders continue to invest in AI aggressively which shows that the industry is expressing optimism in its expectations while resourcing itself for caution.

The survey, conducted among fintech founders, industry leaders and ecosystem participants, shows respondents continue to invest in AI on the basis of its perceived strategic importance rather than proven returns. 48% of leaders named proprietary intelligence as their top strategic bet for the future, with customer experience enhancement emerging as the leading driver of AI agent adoption over the next three to five years (cited by 30% of respondents), followed by cost reduction and productivity gains at 22%.

Rajan Pental, Leader – Financial Services, PwC India said, “Fintech leaders clearly want to believe in an enabling capital environment and rapid AI adoption, but very few are confident enough in that outcome to bet their business on it. Instead, they are preparing for consolidation, tighter capital and tougher governance. That is our survey's clearest signal about how the industry is actually thinking about the next four years."

The survey results reveal a clear split between what the industry expects and what it is actually preparing for. 74% of respondents expect an "enabling" capital and regulatory climate by 2030. But 71% said they are actively building for "Disciplined Consolidation" — a more cautious scenario marked by tighter capital and stronger governance requirements.

Vivek Belgavi, Partner and Leader – Financial Services Advisory, PwC India, said, "India's fintech story over the last decade was built on formalisation, digital onboarding, distribution at scale and growth capital. The next decade will run on a different playbook: programmable digital infrastructure, proprietary intelligence, orchestration over distribution, and trust built by design. The winners will not simply be those who scale fastest, but those who build the most resilient and differentiated institutions."

The report identifies several themes shaping the future of fintech:

• Trust and fraud, not regulation, are seen as the biggest barriers to scaling agentic AI. 41% of respondents cited customer trust and adoption as the greatest barrier to scaling agentic payments, followed by fraud, security and risk management at 33% — a combined 74%. Regulatory uncertainty accounted for just 11%.
• Consumers will share their data freely but will not tolerate added risk. 93% of respondents said customers would allow an AI agent to access their financial data for better recommendations. Yet only 7% said customers would still use an AI agent if it slightly increased fraud risk, even if it saved time.
• Liability for AI-driven errors remains unresolved. When asked who should bear responsibility if an AI agent makes an incorrect financial transaction, no single answer received even a third of respondent support, reflecting how unsettled accountability remains in agentic finance.
• Embedded lending stands out as the industry's preferred long-term opportunity. 77% of respondents named embedded lending as a durable value pool for 2030, 50 percentage points ahead of the next-ranked category, while consumer payments and UPI-adjacent models were seen as the most saturated or overhyped business models today.
• Trust ranks as a low near-term priority despite being a top consumer concern. Trust and transparency were rated the most important attribute for the new-age, digitally native consumer by 55% of respondents, far ahead of lowest cost (10%). Yet designing for consumer trust and volatility ranked last among strategic priorities, cited by only about 10% of respondents as a top 18-month focus.

The findings are based on a primary survey conducted by PwC India with 31 respondents using a structured questionnaire as well as live polling across three moderated discussion areas: Innovation Frontier, Regulation and Compliance, and Value Creation and Investment Lens. Respondent organisations included payments platforms and gateways, consumer fintechs, global payment networks and issuers, cross-border payments businesses, NBFC-adjacent lenders, infrastructure providers, and venture funds.

HCLTech Report Exposes Widening AI Divide With Only 18% of Enterprises Seeing Revenue Impact Despite Near-Universal Adoption

HCLTech, a leading global technology company, today released its global research report, The Blueprint for AI Leadership, revealing a widening gap between organizations adopting AI and those realizing meaningful business value.

The study, conducted with Raconteur among 500 enterprise decision-makers, shows that AI adoption is no longer the constraint. 90% of organizations report that GenAI and Agentic AI are transforming workflows, with 91% citing improved data access and 90% reporting productivity gains.

However, alarmingly, only 18% say AI is delivering significant revenue impact, exposing a critical gap between operational progress and business outcomes. These enterprises have emerged as AI Leaders by not just adopting AI, but by systematically converting it into growth, innovation and customer experience advantage. These enterprises are four times more likely to scale agentic and autonomous AI, with superior execution in defining measurable use cases (73% vs. 22%) and securing senior leadership sponsorship (63% vs. 36%).

The lagging enterprises that act as AI Followers remain trapped in incremental gains, evaluating AI through efficiency and cost lenses alone, limiting their ability to compete on differentiated outcomes or scale impact enterprise wide.

The divergence is sharpest in foundations. AI Leaders have integrated AI into business strategy, built data readiness and are far ahead in workforce transformation, with 93% having structured upskilling programs, compared to just 20% of AI Followers.

Critically, Leaders are embedding AI into core workflows and decision-making, enabling scaling, adaptability and continuous improvement, capabilities AI Followers are yet to institutionalize. This shift from deploying tools to orchestrating enterprise-wide transformation is the defining advantage in AI maturity.

“AI has entered a decisive phase, and success will come down to how well organizations bring people, data and technology together,” said Pawan Vadapalli, Corporate Vice President and Global Head, Digital Business Services at HCLTech. “The organizations pulling ahead are not just running more pilots; they are rethinking how the business works, embedding AI into everyday decisions and workflows. It is this coordinated shift across leadership, culture and foundations that turns AI from a tool into real, long-term advantage.”

To access the full report, please visit: The Blueprint for AI Leadership: AI ROI Report | HCLTech

Cisco Deploys AI Agents to All 90,000 Employees, Pioneering Enterprise-Wide Intelligence

Cisco is rolling out personalized AI agents to all 90,000 employees starting August 2026, marking one of the largest enterprise AI deployments globally. Each employee will get an AI assistant designed to handle tasks, answer questions, and route requests to the most efficient model, with a strong focus on cost control and efficiency.

To recall, earlier in May Accenture rolled out Microsoft Copilot to its entire global workforce of about 743,000 employees, making this the largest enterprise AI deployment to date.

Cisco is positioning itself as an AI-native enterprise, embedding intelligence across finance, customer experience, and operations.

Key Highlights of Cisco’s AI Rollout

• Scale of Deployment: Every one of Cisco’s 90,000 employees will receive a personalized AI agent beginning August 2026.
• Efficiency Focus: Cisco’s system dynamically selects the most appropriate model for each task to minimize token usage and costs.
• On-Premises Infrastructure: Much of the AI stack is hosted internally, giving Cisco tighter control over expenses and data security.
• Upskilling Programs: The rollout will be paired with training and knowledge-sharing initiatives to help employees adapt and experiment with AI.
• Finance Use Case: AI already drafts 80–90% of Cisco’s Management Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) filings and supports investor relations with predictive insights.

Cisco’s AI Strategy vs Industry Peers

Company	Scale of Deployment	AI Focus	Unique Approach
Cisco	90,000 employees	Efficiency, cost control	Dynamic model selection, on-premises infra
Accenture	743,000 employees	Generative AI at scale	Microsoft Copilot across workforce
Tata Steel	300+ AI agents	Industrial efficiency	Zen AI & Tata Steel Digital Assistant
Wipro	Global talent pool	Claude model integration	Forward Deployed Engineers
TCS	AI-led services strategy	Infrastructure to Intelligence	End-to-end AI transformation

Challenges & Risks

• Adoption Pain: Cisco executives describe scaling AI across a large enterprise as “surgery without the drugs,” highlighting the difficulty of embedding AI into legacy workflows.
• Token Costs: Complex agent workflows can consume hundreds of thousands to millions of tokens, making efficiency critical.
• Cultural Shift: Employees must adapt to “AI-native” ways of working, which may expose inefficiencies in existing processes.

Strategic Implications

• Cisco’s rollout positions it as a major AI-native enterprise, embedding intelligence across finance, customer experience, and operations.
• The initiative reflects a broader industry trend: AI agents are moving beyond chatbots to handle multi-step workflows, predictive analytics, and decision support.
• Internal competition and experimentation are expected to drive innovation, as teams discover new applications for AI.

AI Boom Is Creating a ‘Human Skills Economy’ as Indian Firms Accelerate Adoption: IWG Study

• 90% of HR leaders warn innovation will slow without human traits and qualities
• 65% say AI can’t replace empathy; 53% say leadership remains uniquely human
• India has the world’s highest rate of AI adoption and one of its youngest workforces, making human skills the sharpest edge in a tightening jobs market

As Indian companies accelerate AI adoption and focus on technical upskilling, new research from International Workplace Group (IWG), the world’s leading platform for work, suggests that the next workforce challenge is building the human capabilities needed to use AI creatively and collaboratively.

According to IWG’s survey, the vast majority (90%) of HR leaders believe that failing to prioritize human capabilities is a risk to innovation. This finding reflects the emergence of a new “Human Skills Economy,” in which empathy, judgment, creativity, and leadership are core to business performance.

Rise of AI: A New Operating Reality for Work

AI is now deeply embedded in everyday workflows across organizations. IWG’s survey of hundreds of HR and recruitment leaders revealed that 73% of hybrid teams are already using tools like ChatGPT and 82% of organisations offer AI training. However, HR leaders say their readiness must accelerate to keep up, with fewer than half (45%) saying they are effectively closing the skills gap, suggesting a significant number of organisations are still lagging in effective AI use.

The findings are particularly relevant for India, where organisations are rapidly moving towards AI-enabled ways of working. India leads the world in workplace AI adoption, with 73% of workers using AI tools regularly, well ahead of the United States (45%) and the United Kingdom (29%).

According to Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index India findings, 93% of Indian business leaders intend to use AI agents to extend workforce capabilities within the next 12–18 months. This acceleration makes the development of human skills such as empathy, judgment, leadership and collaboration even more critical as companies redesign work around human-AI collaboration.

Humans + AI: The New Performance Model

As the labour market tightens - particularly at the entry level - employers are being forced to rethink what truly drives performance. Research from Randstad and the Institute of Student Employers shows that entry-level vacancies fell by 29% globally between January 2024 and the end of 2025, raising the bar for what differentiates candidates.

In India, that squeeze is already visible in the sector that defined its rise, with entry-level IT roles down an estimated 20 to 25% as automation absorbs routine work, even as the country fields one of the world’s youngest workforces.

While Gen Z brings a clear advantage in technological fluency, skills alone are no longer enough. The real differentiator is AI literacy: the ability to meaningfully apply AI tools in day-to-day work to unlock productivity and new ways of thinking.

In fact, research from International Workplace Group shows that nearly two-thirds of younger employees are already helping older colleagues adopt AI, from hands-on coaching to embedding tools into everyday workflows.

Against this backdrop, a new performance model is emerging, in which AI handles technical and repeatable tasks, and human capabilities define impact, leadership, and long-term value. HR leaders are clear about where humans remain essential:

• 65% say AI will never replicate human empathy
• 64% say it falls short in complex decision-making
• 53% say leadership will remain uniquely human

At the same time, boundaries are still evolving. Only 40% believe creativity will remain beyond AI’s reach, signalling a continued shift in how organisations define the line between human and machine capability.

Elements That Can’t Be Replicated: The Enduring Value of Human Skills

Even as automation expands, human skills are becoming the most durable source of competitive advantage. While 40% say missing AI or technology skills can disqualify candidates, two-thirds (66%) of HR leaders now say applicants’ ability to demonstrate human skills matters most in hiring, ranking above experience, technical skills, and education.

This shift is also reflected in evolving hiring signals: 45% of employers say they look for context around career moves and gaps to better understand a candidate’s overall experience and trajectory.

In India, industry body NASSCOM has noted that India has the capacity to reskill and develop 8 -10 million professionals in AI-related services by 2030. Deloitte and NASSCOM have also estimated that India’s AI talent demand could grow from 600,000–650,000 to more than 1.25 million between 2022 and 2027, while noting that a shortage of qualified professionals could slow innovation and growth. This makes the combination of AI fluency and human capabilities central to India’s future workforce readiness.

Further, more than half (55%) of HR leaders say hybrid workplaces are among the most effective settings for building empathy, judgment, and leadership skills, underscoring how hybrid work environments are seen as spaces where essential human traits like trust, mentorship, collaboration, and decision-making are actively developed and reinforced.

The Bottom Line

As AI reshapes work, organisations face a clear mandate. Success now depends not just on adopting new technologies, but also on strengthening human capabilities and helping technology and humans work as true teammates.

The future belongs to companies that integrate AI while intentionally building environments where human skills thrive.

Mark Dixon, CEO & Founder of International Workplace Group, commented: “Every major technological shift has redefined how we work — from the rise of the internet to email to smartphones. AI is no different, but what sets this moment apart is the speed and scale of change. Some roles will evolve or disappear, while entirely new ones will emerge.

As always, the organisations that resist transformation will fall behind. A key advantage will belong to those that combine AI’s efficiency with the uniquely human skills that drive innovation, leadership, and growth.”

Harsh Lambah, India Country Manager and VP Sales of South Asia at International Workplace Group, commented: “India is uniquely well positioned to lead the new 'Human skills economy' given that it has the world’s youngest workforce, and the fastest rate of AI adoption. The workplaces that will win in this new economy are the ones where people and AI grow together, and that is exactly what we are building across the country.”

Methodology:

The IWG Human Skills Economy Report was conducted in April 2026 by Mortar Research and targeted 510 U.S.-based HR, recruitment and hiring managers.

About International Workplace Group PLC

International Workplace Group (IWG) is the world’s leading platform for work enabling companies of all sizes to work more productively and profitably. We create personal, financial, and strategic value for the most exciting companies and well-known organizations on the planet as well as individuals and the next generation of industry leaders. All of them harness the power of IWG’s platform to increase their productivity, efficiency, agility, and market proximity.

International Workplace Group’s unrivalled network coverage includes more than 5,000 locations across 120 countries and 83% of Fortune 500 companies are amongst our growing customer base.

Our brands including Regus, Spaces, HQ and Signature serve millions of people, providing professional, inspiring and collaborative workspaces and all our digital services are available via the IWG app.

37% of Entry-Level Tasks in India Already Done by AI, Finds Cognizant and Pearson Study

• Employers to focus on interdisciplinary skills; expect new hires to supervise AI

Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) and Pearson (FTSE: PSON.L) today released findings from their joint study, The AI Workforce Pulse: The Adaptability Imperative, highlighting how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming India’s entry-level workforce at a faster pace than the global average, while simultaneously creating new career pathways and urgent skilling challenges.

Based on a survey of 750 HR leaders across the US, UK and India, the study finds that 37% of entry-level tasks in India are already performed by AI, compared to a 33% global average, with 18% of HR leaders reporting that AI now handles half or more of entry-level work, signalling accelerated disruption in one of the country’s largest workforce segments.

The findings point to four interconnected shifts shaping the AI workforce ahead:

Roles are Being Reinvented

• Nearly all (96%) HR leaders expect entry-level roles to evolve into positions where employees supervise or manage AI systems within the next five years.
• Nearly all HR professionals (94%) expect AI will generate new entry-level roles in the next five years that didn't exist before.
• More than 90% of respondents say middle managers are instrumental to redefining job roles as AI changes the day-to-day work of team members.
• Nearly all HR professionals (98%) are increasing focus on AI skills even for non-technical roles.

Employees in these roles are increasingly expected to manage AI outputs, validate decisions, interpret results and apply human judgment.

In India, 80% of organisations report that AI is enabling employees to focus on higher-value work, compared to 77% globally.

Human and Interdisciplinary Skills Are Increasingly Important

• Nearly all (97%) report soft skills matter more than ever, reflecting a need for adaptability, problem-solving, and human judgment.
• Two in three HR professionals (67%) report they value liberal arts degrees more than they used to in light of AI advancements.
• Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) HR professionals say broad, interdisciplinary backgrounds are more important for early-career talent than deep, specialized skillsets, with 65% of HR professionals in India reflecting this shift.

In addition, 91% of organisations in India place greater value on AI skills for non-technical roles, signalling a broader redefinition of what “job-ready” talent looks like.

Demand for AI Skills Is Rising, but Readiness Is Uneven

• 91% of HR professionals report increased employee demand for AI training over the past 12 months.
• 60% say their L&D programmes cannot keep pace with how quickly AI is transforming jobs, with India reporting a similar challenge at 63%.
• 54% of HR professionals say their organizations proactively arrange AI upskilling in anticipation of future roles evolving, while 46% say their organizations are not proactively arranging this training.

At the same time, India shows relative strength in how organisations are approaching learning:

• 63% of organisations in India have allotted time for AI training, higher than the U.S. (49%).

However, 61% of organisations in India report challenges finding the right talent, reflecting the pace at which skill requirements are evolving.

Middle Managers Are Critical to AI Adoption

• 95% of HR leaders say middle managers are critical to ensuring employees use AI effectively.
• 92% say middle managers play a crucial role in redefining job roles as AI reshapes day-to-day work.

Leadership Statements

Rajesh Varrier, President – Global Operations and Chairman & Managing Director, Cognizant India, said, India is at the forefront of how AI is transforming entry-level work, with organizations already embedding AI into day-to-day operations at scale. We are seeing a fundamental redesign of roles, where early-career talent is expected to work alongside AI and focus on higher-value outcomes.

AI is reshaping the talent landscape and exposing the limits of traditional talent and learning models,” said Kathy Diaz, Chief People Officer, Cognizant.

The new findings build on Cognizant’s earlier New Work, New World 2026 study, which found that AI is already impacting 93% of jobs, underscoring the urgency for employers to prepare for changing role expectations. Cognizant sees early-career talent as increasingly important in an AI-enabled workforce. After hiring 20,000 fresh graduates in 2025, the company expects to exceed that number in 2026, reflecting its continued investment in early-career talent and skill development as work evolves.

As work evolves, the most successful organizations will focus less on replacing tasks and more on building the capabilities that help humans and AI work together. That starts with early-career talent, said Ali Bebo, Chief Human Resources Officer, Pearson.

Through their partnership, Cognizant and Pearson are working together to help recent graduates, apprentices and mid-career professionals build skills in AI, cloud and digital technologies. Pearson supports Cognizant’s existing workforce development programs, including Synapse and its Immersive Learning Center in Chennai, to help create stronger development paths for the workforce.

Methodology

Cognizant and Pearson commissioned independent market research conducted by Wakefield Research in three markets: the US, UK and India, between March 23 and April 3, 2026, using an email invitation and an online survey among 750 HR professionals.

About Cognizant

Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is an AI builder and technology services provider, building full-stack AI solutions for clients. See how at www.cognizant.ai or @cognizant.

About Pearson

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. Visit us at plc.pearson.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes statements that may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

56% of Online Sellers are Already Using AI Tools to Grow Their Business: Snapdeal Bharat Seller Report 2026

• Report highlights rapid adoption of AI among sellers, rising strength of Bharat markets, and continued growth of value-driven shopping in India’s digital commerce economy

India’s online seller ecosystem is becoming increasingly technology-driven, manufacturing-led, and deeply aligned with the country’s value-conscious consumers, according to the latest “Snapdeal Bharat Seller Report 2026.”

The report, based on a survey of sellers across Bharat who sell on Snapdeal, reveals that artificial intelligence is no longer confined to large enterprises or digital-first brands. Instead, AI adoption is steadily moving into the mainstream among Indian online sellers, with 56% of surveyed sellers already using AI-powered tools in some form to improve their business operations.

The report captures emerging trends shaping India’s digital commerce economy, including AI adoption, online business dependence, marketplace diversification, consumer behaviour, and seller profitability pressures.

“India’s online seller ecosystem is evolving rapidly. Sellers today are far more digitally mature, operationally agile, and increasingly technology-enabled. What is particularly interesting is that AI adoption is now becoming visible even among MSMEs and traditional sellers. At the same time, the continued growth of Bharat markets on the back of rising internet penetration and growing comfort in online transactions among consumers continue to define the next phase of Indian e-commerce,” said Achint Setia, CEO, Snapdeal.

The report highlights that among sellers already using AI, the most common use case was product listings and content creation, cited by 43% of respondents. Sellers are increasingly leveraging AI tools to generate product descriptions, improve cataloguing efficiency, optimise listings, and enhance discoverability on marketplaces.

Online commerce is now central to seller businesses

The report also highlights how deeply online commerce is now embedded within seller business models across India.

Nearly 46% of respondents said more than three-fourths of their overall business sales now come from online channels, underlining the extent to which digital commerce has become a primary route to market for a large segment of sellers.

Importantly, India’s online seller ecosystem continues to remain strongly manufacturing-led. About 66% of surveyed sellers identified themselves as manufacturers selling directly online, showcasing how marketplaces are increasingly enabling small manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs to access customers across the country without relying heavily on traditional distribution networks.

Bharat markets continue to emerge as the key growth engine

The report reinforces a trend that has steadily gathered momentum over the past few years: India’s smaller cities and towns are becoming the biggest growth drivers for digital commerce.

About 51% of sellers said customers from Tier-2, Tier-3, and smaller markets are growing faster for their business compared to metro and Tier-1 consumers.

The findings reflect the widening reach of e-commerce across Bharat, aided by affordable smartphones, improving logistics infrastructure, greater internet penetration, digital payment adoption, and rising comfort with online shopping among consumers in non-metro markets.

Value continues to dominate Indian online shopping behaviour

The report findings also underline the enduring strength of value commerce in India.

While, nearly 49% of sellers said consumers primarily prioritise the best prices and discounts while shopping online, product quality ranked second at 38%, indicating that quality remains a key consideration even for value-conscious consumers.

This trend is also reflected in seller price points. About 66% of respondents operate in categories where the average order value is below ₹500, highlighting the scale and importance of India’s value-conscious consumption economy.

Accenture, OpenAI Ignite Federal AI Future

Accenture Federal Services and OpenAI have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate secure AI adoption across U.S. federal agencies, enabling mission‑grade deployments in weeks instead of years. The collaboration combines OpenAI’s cutting‑edge models with Accenture Federal’s cleared engineering talent and security‑first delivery, giving agencies a trusted path to modernize systems and embed AI into mission workflows.

Accenture Federal Services will serve as an OpenAI Implementation Partner for the U.S. federal market, helping agencies design, deploy, and govern AI platforms. 

Key Highlights

• Launch Date: May 14, 2026
• Scope: U.S. federal government agencies
• Objective: Rapid migration from pilot AI projects to production‑ready, mission‑scale deployments
• Core Strengths:
  • OpenAI’s frontier models and research
  • Accenture Federal’s mission expertise, cleared engineers, and secure delivery
• Outcome: Faster modernization of legacy systems, improved citizen services, and strengthened national infrastructure

Strategic Components

• Federal‑ready frameworks: Governance and compliance patterns tailored for government data and operations
• Agentic Lab at The Forge: A simulated government agency environment to design, test, and validate AI workflows in hours, not months
• Human‑in‑the‑loop solutions: Ensuring oversight and accountability in mission‑critical AI deployments
• Lifecycle acceleration: From proof‑of‑concept to scaled adoption across multiple agencies

Federal AI training and change management is the structured process of preparing U.S. government agencies and their workforce to effectively adopt, manage, and scale artificial intelligence systems within mission‑critical operations.

Core Components

• Skill Development: Building AI literacy among federal employees through hands‑on workshops, simulation labs, and role‑specific learning paths
• Organizational Readiness: Assessing agency culture, workflows, and data maturity to ensure smooth integration of AI tools
• Change Enablement: Implementing communication strategies, leadership alignment, and stakeholder engagement to reduce resistance
• Ethical Oversight: Embedding transparency, fairness, and accountability principles into every stage of AI deployment
• Continuous Learning: Establishing feedback loops and iterative improvement cycles to evolve with emerging technologies

Implementation Approach

Phase	Focus Area	Outcome
Orientation	Introduce AI fundamentals and mission relevance	Workforce awareness and buy‑in
Hands‑On Training	Practical use of AI tools and data systems	Operational proficiency
Governance Setup	Define ethical and compliance frameworks	Responsible AI adoption
Performance Review	Evaluate impact and refine workflows	Scalable, sustainable AI integration

Strategic Impact

Federal AI training and change management ensures that modernization isn’t just technological—it’s human‑centric, empowering civil servants to collaborate confidently with AI systems while maintaining public trust and mission integrity.

Partnership Benefits

Benefit	Impact
Rapid Deployment	Weeks instead of years for mission‑grade AI
Security First	Cleared engineers, compliance frameworks
Scalability	AI platforms across missions and agencies
Modernization	Legacy system upgrades and faster workload migration
Citizen Services	Improved responsiveness and efficiency

⚠ Risks & Considerations

• Data Sensitivity: Federal adoption requires strict compliance with classified and sensitive data handling
• Operational Complexity: Scaling AI across diverse agencies may face resistance due to legacy systems
• Accountability: Human oversight remains critical to prevent over‑automation in sensitive missions
• Competitive Context: This move positions OpenAI against rivals like Anthropic and hyperscalers (Microsoft, Google, AWS) in the federal AI integration race

Why It Matters

For U.S. agencies, this partnership offers a trusted, secure path to operationalize AI at mission scale. For India’s IT and consulting hubs like Gurugram, it signals opportunities for collaboration and knowledge transfer, as federal AI adoption often sets global benchmarks for enterprise and government modernization.

9 in 10 Indian SMBs Now Bet on AI - With Tier-2 Cities Taking the Lead: Linkedin Study

India’s small and medium businesses (SMBs) are entering their most confident decade yet. New LinkedIn research finds that 9 in 10 SMBs (95.6%) are already investing in or planning AI adoption, indicating how technology has moved from experiment to infrastructure. At the same time 92% of SMB decision-makers expect business growth in the next 12 months - signalling a sector that’s not just hopeful but rebuilding around smarter systems, skilled talent, and trusted digital platforms.

For Indian SMBs, evolution is survival, not optional

Behind their confidence lies urgency. AI is no longer a buzzword, but the new baseline for growth. The research shows that 57% of SMBs view AI and automation as essential to stay competitive, 54% cite operational efficiency as key to protecting margins, and 51% say digital transformation is critical to survival.

Across India, different regions are evolving in distinct ways. SMBs in Delhi (61%) and Pune (60%) lead AI adoption to manage costs, those in Bengaluru (63%) are focusing on operational efficiency, and those in Chennai (62%) are concentrating on building a skilled talent pipeline. Meanwhile, SMBs in some of the fastest growing cities in India such as Chandigarh (100%), Jaipur (94%), and Ahmedabad (94%) are setting new benchmarks for business confidence and technology adoption, often pulling ahead of larger metros in AI readiness and momentum.

Kumaresh Pattabiraman, Country Manager, LinkedIn India said,

Indian SMBs are moving from ‘startup hustle’ to ‘strategic muscle’. Entrepreneurs are reimagining how business is built, using AI to drive efficiency, skills-first hiring to build capability, and trusted digital ecosystems to expand their market footprint. At LinkedIn, our focus is simple - give every entrepreneur, in metro or non-metro cities, the right network, the right clients, and the right talent, all in one place, so they can grow with clarity and confidence in the AI economy.

AI becomes the new operating system for growth

AI has become the engine behind how SMB’s hire, market and grow. Nearly all surveyed businesses say they use it to automate workflows (92%), strengthen analytics and business intelligence (93%), and streamline hiring, marketing, and sales (over 90%).

Hiring models are being rebuilt around capability, not credentials. SMBs now value digital literacy and AI fluency (63%), problem-solving (57%), and data analysis (50%) over traditional qualifications. To find this talent, 65% already use AI hiring tools, citing better assessments and higher engagement.

Marketing and sales, too, are becoming intelligence-driven. 76% of SMBs use AI marketing tools, with three-quarters investing up to half their budgets in them. 74% now rely on AI in sales for sharper targeting and automated follow-ups, allowing them to operate with the sophistication of larger enterprises.

Rahul Karthikeyan, Chief Marketing Officer, Scaler said,

Scaler’s recent campaigns have seen strong performance through precise audience targeting and data-driven optimisation. Sponsored Content, especially vertical formats, delivered a 20% higher lead-to-payment conversion than static formats on other channels. In August alone, LinkedIn generated about 70–80 new payments with a return on spend (RoS) of 2.2. We plan to further scale this high-impact channel while maintaining cost-per-sale efficiency

Trust is the new competitive advantage

Even as they adopt AI at speed, SMBs are discerning about where they place their trust. 95% say platform credibility matters more than cost or convenience. Their top considerations are data security (83%), seamless integration (79%), and clarity on ROI (75%). Together, these shifts signal the rise of a smarter, more resilient SMB ecosystem - one that is not just adapting to the AI era but actively shaping it.

Methodology

LinkedIn commissioned YouGov to conduct an online survey of 1,027 SMB and MSME owners, entrepreneurs, directors, and senior managers across India. The study covered 10 key cities including Delhi NCR, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata, distributed across North & Central, West, South, and East regions.

Respondents represented businesses across the Micro (up to ₹10 crore), Small (₹10–100 crore) and Medium (₹100–₹500 crore) turnover segments. Participants were aged 25 to 65 years, capturing perspectives across both emerging and seasoned decision-makers.

About LinkedIn

LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful and transforms how companies hire, learn, market, and sell. Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce through the ongoing development of the world’s first Economic Graph. LinkedIn has over 1.2 billion members and has offices around the globe. www.linkedin.com / mobile.linkedin.com