77 pc Indian companies see AI reshaping workspaces: Report
New Delhi, July 28
Indian companies score above global peers on AI readiness but only 19 per cent have started changing office space and operations to reflect that, with a 58‑point gap between recognition and execution, a report said.
The report from JLL said 77 per cent of Indian business leaders recognise AI will need changes implemented in the workspace.
"AI will add jobs, not cut them, according to India's business leaders, but a shortage of skills, not money, is now the biggest hurdle to change," the report said.
Nearly 58 per cent respondents expect workforce growth over the next three to five years and 62 per cent said AI will make human roles more valuable rather than replace them.
The survey of over 2,200 CEOs, CFOs and real estate heads across 21 countries found "Indian companies are ahead of the rest of the world in putting AI to use in how they plan and run their offices".
India scored higher than the global average on all eight AI-related measures tracked.
"For the first time in 15 years of tracking this data, 46 per cent of Indian companies cite skills shortage as their primary barrier versus only 35 per cent citing budget, capability now outweighs cost," said Ajit Kumar - Managing Director, Work Dynamics Accounts, West Asia, JLL.
Kumar mentioned the skills gap as a positive inflection point, because skills can be developed internally and sourced externally far more readily than waiting for capital allocation cycles.
"The companies that reframe this as a skills development challenge rather than a budget constraint-and invest in the 50 per cent who are prioritizing AI support and infrastructure-will define India's workplace transformation over the next decade," he added.
Nearly 56 per cent of India firms track AI trends against 46 per cent globally and 45 per cent Indian companies run staff training and change programmes against the global average of 36 per cent.
"Nearly one in five Indian companies (19 per cent) say they have reached the most advanced stage of using AI in their real estate operations, against 15 per cent globally. Counting those still scaling up, 47 per cent are actively rolling out AI, against 42 per cent worldwide," the report said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally! Indian businesses are waking up to AI. I work in IT and see how much time we waste on manual processes. AI can genuinely free up people for higher-value work. The skills shortage is real—my company started internal AI bootcamps last year, and it's making a difference. 🇮🇳✨
All this AI hype is fine, but let's not ignore the ground reality. 77% recognition is impressive on paper, but 19% execution shows a huge disconnect. Indian companies need to stop chasing trends and actually build infrastructure. Also, what about small businesses that can't afford this transition? 😐
"AI will add jobs, not cut them"—I hope this is true. In sectors like BPO and customer service, there's genuine fear. But if Indian companies invest in reskilling, we could become a global hub for AI-augmented work. The JLL report's point about skills being more important than budget is spot on.
46% tracking AI trends in India vs 46% globally? That's a good start. But I'm more interested in the 45% who are actually running training programs. Upskilling needs to reach tier-2 and tier-3 cities too, not just Bengaluru and Gurgaon. Let's make AI inclusive! 💪
Only 19% have started changing operations? That gap is a missed opportunity. The JLL report says skills shortage is the barrier—but why aren't universities and training institutes stepping up? We need more industry-academia partnerships to prepare graduates for AI-augmented roles. Otherwise we'll fall behind
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