Indian Companies Face Gap Between AI Deployment and Workforce Readiness

Recent reports from Kyndryl and LinkedIn highlight a growing disconnect between the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence and the readiness of the workforce in India. Kyndryl's July 7 data shows that 56 percent of Indian organizations have broadly deployed or embedded AI into core processes, an increase from 36 percent in 2025. However, only 25 percent of these firms believe their employees are prepared for the shift, marking a 12-point decline from the previous year.

While 84 percent of organizations expect autonomous AI agents to make material decisions within a year, trust remains low, with only 28 percent trusting these systems without human oversight. To bridge this gap, 69 percent of companies have redesigned roles and 33 percent have created formal upskilling budgets. Lingraju Sawkar of Kyndryl India noted that scaling AI impact requires businesses to rethink work processes and establish governance frameworks to foster trust.

Concurrent data from LinkedIn indicates that AI is actively reshaping the C-Suite, with 84 percent of leaders reporting the creation of new roles. This trend is strongest among Chief Marketing Officers, where 94 percent see new roles emerging. Despite integrating AI tool inputs into decision-making, nearly 80 percent of leaders feel pressured to accelerate adoption faster than they can measure its effectiveness. Kumaresh Pattabiraman of LinkedIn observed that AI is shortening the shelf life of old playbooks, forcing leaders to make faster decisions without a clear roadmap.