A new study by AWS and Access Partnership finds that 99% of Indian organisations plan to hire for GenAI roles in 2025, even as most struggle with strategic readiness and skill alignment. The “Generative AI Adoption Index” highlights a decisive shift in leadership, with 83% of companies already appointing Chief AI Officers (CAIOs) to oversee scaled AI integration—up from earlier reliance on CEOs and CTOs.
The study, which surveyed 415 senior IT decision-makers across financial services, manufacturing, retail, and ICT sectors, reveals that 64% of Indian businesses have prioritised generative AI in their 2025 budgets—well ahead of security (21%) and compute (10%).
From experimentation to execution
Despite 75% of companies lacking a structured change management strategy to support employees during the AI transition, this number is projected to fall to just 9% by the end of 2026. Organisations are increasingly experimenting with generative AI tools—98% have initiated use, and over 43% have already integrated them into their operations. Half are expected to move into full production in the next year.
While adoption accelerates, challenges persist. Key barriers include budget limitations, lack of clarity on skilling needs, and uncertainty about effective implementation. Many firms are addressing this by developing internal training programmes, though demand continues to outpace the available talent pool.
Customisation and ecosystem partnerships on the rise
Indian companies are showing a preference for hybrid AI approaches. Around two-thirds of the respondents plan to use fine-tuned models enhanced with proprietary data, while just 42% will rely on generic out-of-the-box models. To support adoption at scale, AWS has established a $100 million Generative AI Innovation Centre and offers more than 80 free courses via AWS Skill Builder.
The study also notes growing ecosystem involvement, with implementation support from major Indian IT firms including TCS, Infosys, and Wipro. As generative AI becomes central to enterprise strategy, India Inc. is racing to build executive capacity, enable skilling pathways, and redesign operational workflows to compete at global scale.
